Masquerade
by silversummerwords
Summary: Everyone lives in a masquerade. Cynthia is a Champion and she wears the mask befitting of one. Steven is a Champion and he wears the mask befitting of one. And so, there they met. In a masquerade.
1. Chapter 1

**Masquerade**

"May I have the pleasure of dancing with you, milady?"

The platinum blond turned around, eyes watching the man who offered his hand towards her. He had quite the disagreeable appearance, with a tacky tuxedo that screamed of loud colors, a tiresome top hat, a glittery mask that was out of place with his outfit and an odd, curled mustache above his lips. Yet she could not refuse his invitation, for he was clearly one of the Kalos aristocrats, and it would not be wise to get on his bad side.

"Gladly," she replied, taking the Count's hand while keeping the perfect smile on her lips.

The stout man beamed at her, and despite the height difference, he spun her towards the dance floor, his flamboyant dancing throwing her off. But she kept up with him, years of practice put to good use, and soon, she was on time with the music, while her dance partner continued his odd method of dancing. They remained silent as per the second rule of the ball: no form of conversation is to be made during the dance.

The annual social ball organized by the Kalos royal family had always been extravagant, if not, excessive. Those of the Kalos monarchy had a taste in fashion that she could not understand, and the annual ball was infamous for its foolish rules that were not for the common person to comprehend. She would have done everything she could to avoid coming, but her responsibilities came first, and here she was.

Cynthia suppressed a sigh while trying to convince herself that this is part of her duty as Champion. Yes, coming to a high-class social ball and trying to avoid her feet from getting stepped on was all part of being a Champion. She was not yet used to it, for she had only received the title two months ago, and while she knew what she was doing, she did not quite agree with it.

She should be battling or immersing herself in books on history and myths at the Canalave Library. Not... this.

The first song ended, and while her thoughts were in the midst of slipping away, she off-handedly took the hand of her next partner while the orchestra transitioned to the next song. This time, a middle-aged aristocrat with a bulging belly was her partner. While he looked more presentable than the first, his steps were often one beat later than the music, and Cynthia did her best to avoid letting a sigh escape her lips.

As the Champion, she had to keep up appearances. Be graceful. Be polite. Be poised.

And when the second song reached its last bar, she did the usual, ready to take the hand of whoever she would be partnering with next.

A white, gloved hand took hold of her gently and pulled her closer. She paid no notice to this, however, as she drowned herself in her boredom. The violins started playing the tune to Tchaikovsky, and Cynthia started lightly moving on her feet. Her partner does the same, dancing right on the beat, a certain cadence to his movement that flows with the music. He swings along with her, and mildly surprised by his skill, the blond finally tore herself away from her thoughts, her attention brought to the man before her.

He had a head of silver-cerulean hair that was styled handsomely while a blue cravat was tied neatly around his collar, and a sapphire brooch pinned to the lapel of his grey suit. His long black and gold coat that conformed to the ball's dress code matched with his black mask that had a simple gold pattern adorning the edge of it. He was easily one of the best-dressed men among the guests, and Cynthia curiously shifted her gaze upwards to get a good look of his face.

At the next second, her storm grey eyes locked against a pair of calm teal eyes. Her breath was momentarily taken away, but she hastily reminded herself to breathe. Her heart had made a weird noise just then, and though slightly flustered, she brushed it off, once again reminding herself that she needed to keep her composure.

Her partner merely smiled, and Cynthia was positive that he had read her mind.

_Finally looking at me, aren't you?_ His eyes seemed to say. Cynthia, while embarrassed, flashed a composed smile in return. The waltz starts picking up the tempo, and Cynthia found herself purposefully dancing with more complex moves, wanting to test the extent of her partner's skills.

The man followed with ease, a small smile on his lips that Cynthia regarded to be quite mischievous. She led the dance for a moment, before he took over the reins, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her off the ground smoothly. Not willing to relent, she pulled him to match her pace the moment she landed on the ground. He partook in her lead, and her heart thumped loudly with excitement as she immersed herself in the music, the dance, and his eyes.

She could feel the beautiflies in her belly going crazier the longer he stared at her eyes, and she thought she could hear his heartbeat. There was this distance between them that was being shortened drastically, and Cynthia could not quite put her hand on it. It was a strange, mysterious feeling to her, more so than exploring the Solaceon Ruins, more so than fighting pokémon battles every other day.

It was fun, and Cynthia relished in it. Her partner was skillful, and remarkably so. She could see in his eyes and the air around him that he was somebody, and she wanted to know who he was.

When the last beat was down, the two of them stopped abruptly, and Cynthia felt her heart sink when he released his grip on her hand. The man bowed without a word, and he looked up and flashed a smile.

A smile that was full of sincerity and a tinge of regret.

He soon moved to his right, taking large steps towards his next dance partner. Her gaze followed after his figure, the Sinnoh Champion still in a trance.

A displeased cough brought her back to reality, and she hesitantly took the hand of her next dance partner. The boredom kicked back in, much heavier than before, and Cynthia was this close to letting out a sigh, but she kept her mask on, keeping that perfect smile, that perfect grace, in check.

* * *

In the middle of all the unnecessary glitz and glamour of the ballroom, the lone man's eyes swept past the colorful crowd. The princess of Kalos had truly outdone herself this time, and he held stronger feelings of distaste than amazement over the "improvements" the ostentatious heir had made for her annual masquerade balls.

While the breathtaking interior of Parfum Palace helped alleviate Steven's dislike for the whole event, it still did not change the fact that he wanted to quickly get this over and done with. The only reason why he was here, was because he is the Hoenn Champion. The Kalos royal family always sent two invitations to the Pokémon League every year, and despite everyone's reluctance to attend, there was a need to keep up the good reputation of the League. Thus, it became customary for the Champions to take turns to attend, without fail. Such has been the tradition for two decades, and this year was the Hoenn and Sinnoh Champions' turn to attend.

The thought of having someone to accompany him during this bothersome social ball was supposed to ease his mind. Unfortunately, he was not at all acquainted with the Sinnoh Champion.

Other than knowing that her name is Cynthia and that she is the first female trainer to become a Champion in Sinnoh, Steven knew nothing else about her. He has yet to meet her officially, for she had only taken over the position two months ago. And by the twist of luck, he had been busy with his rock excavations during her coronation and had failed to watch the television nor read the newspaper. He knew not of her appearance, nor of her character.

And the fact that this was a masquerade ball made it all the more difficult for the man to convene with the fellow Champion.

In conclusion, he has become stuck here all alone.

A bell struck, signaling the start of the first dance, and Steven got ready to make himself scarce, away from the dance floor. But a heavy tug on his coat said otherwise, and suddenly, his hand was grabbed firmly, and he turned around, confused.

"My, I'll gladly accept your invitation!" A woman with a fluffy pink mask and thick makeup said, pulling him in. Steven barely avoided the unwelcomed kiss the woman was about to land on him, and forcing the best gentlemanly smile he could muster, he started dancing with the lady. His escape plan was effectively demolished, and he cried unseen tears in his despair.

The pink lady regarded him with a fervent gaze, her grip on his hands unnaturally strong. Though uncomfortable, he kept up his best behavior, flashing the same smile he often used, while feeling the dread of having to keep this façade up for the next four dances.

He did not have much of a choice. While it tired him out both physically and emotionally, he had to maintain the smile, as a Champion.

How he wanted to teleport back to Meteor Falls and resume his search for stones and fossils.

The first song came to an end, and Steven politely nodded his head towards the pink lady, who made no effort to hide her squeals as he made his way to his next dance partner.

As he joined hands with the next lady, a gleam of light caught his eye, and unwittingly, his gaze followed after cascading curls of platinum blonde hair that glimmered under the bright ballroom lights.

His breath was instantly cut short at the sight of her.

She was dressed elegantly in a black silk gown, the smooth material flowing down her beautiful figure. A shawl was draped around her shoulders and arms, enhancing the air of dignity around her. While half of her face was hidden beneath a dark, feathered indigo mask, her storm grey eyes exuded a mysterious charm and power.

At one glance, he noticed something vague, yet familiar in those eyes. Eyes that hid something that struck a chord inside him.

The sound of the bass came in, breaking Steven out of his reverie, and he remained calm as he led the dance. Fortunately, his second partner was much easier to dance with, and the two of them moved around without much of a mistake.

Yet, he found himself flitting a gaze towards the same woman every few seconds. He knew he was being terribly rude to his current partner, but he could not help it.

He purposefully led his partner closer to the blond and chided at himself wordlessly at his impure intentions. He knew that he should not be doing this, but his curiosity towards her prevailed. As the second song reached its end, the Hoenn Champion made sure to be within close proximity to the woman.

The song finally ended with a flourish, and Steven bowed and thanked his second partner. As he stood straight, a ticklish feeling in his chest grew, and he scolded himself again in his head. He was supposed to be a gentleman, and his father had definitely not taught him to use such underhanded tactics to approach a woman.

While the ticklish feeling persisted, Steven confidently stepped to his right and stood before the lady, who gazed at him with those bewitching grey eyes.

He noticed right away that she was not actually looking at him.

It was as if she was preoccupied with her own inner thoughts, her attention not on anything in particular. Steven recognized immediately that she was just like him. Someone who came to be here, who had no other choice but to maintain a façade and wait for the time to pass by.

A masquerade.

She was someone like him, living in a masquerade.

He felt a sour pang in his chest, and he knew of this feeling all too well. He then watched her accept his hand without much of a thought, her gaze still not yet upon him.

He then pulled her closer, just a little. He did not know why he did so, but it felt right, somehow. She had no particular reaction, and at the sight of this, Steven solemnly decided that by the end of this dance, he will have this lady to look at him properly.

Tchaikovsky's tune sang in the air, and they took off. Steven made sure to match her dance steps and flow with the music. She did the same, her steps light yet firm. It instantly struck him that her dancing was good. Really good.

Similarly, she noticed his skills, and Steven saw a faint light in her eyes. She was starting to look.

At him.

Her face gradually moved upwards, and when he made eye contact with her, he observed a pink tinge blooming on her cheeks. A small smile unfolded on his lips as the bell of victory rang inside his head. She remained composed, a sure smile flashed back at him, and the music marched on. She began to execute more complex dance moves, and he obliged, immediately understanding that this feisty lady was testing him.

When he kept up with her pace, a look of surprise flashed past her countenance for a split second, before her expression reverted back to that of a calm, unbreakable woman. She began to lead with much confidence, but Steven was not going to be one-sidedly following her. He felt his courage rising, and he daringly lifted her off the ground by a few inches, lightly swinging her around while holding onto her waist.

However, she quickly came back into control of their dance, pulling him towards her with an assertiveness that he willingly went along with, deciding that he shall not tease her any longer. She was clearly a strong woman, and Steven was enthralled by the strength she exuded. It was a strength that mirrored his own. His quickened heartbeat was a testament of his attraction towards her, and subconsciously, he feared that she would hear it.

Their dance was fluid, their steps entirely in sync, and every beat felt so right that the ticklish feeling in his chest was going haywire. It was nothing like the exhilaration he feels every single time he discovers a new rock for his collection, nor was it like the feeling of victory he experiences after winning a pokémon battle. It was a sensation he never felt before.

When the music ended on its last note, he found both the lady and himself stopping without warning, their eyes fixated on each other, and he could see that she was surprised by the unexpected closure of their dance. Steven then released his grip on her slender hand reluctantly, a sense of dread overcoming him, for he knew that it was time to return to the same façade.

He bowed, and he was ready to flash that usual smile. Yet, he was unable to do so.

Instead, he found himself genuinely smiling at her, and her alone. He did not quite know how he looked like at the moment with such an untrained expression, but as he parted with her, he knew that he did not regret smiling that way at her.

It was when he offered his hand to the next partner, did his heart finally made sense that their brief encounter, had ended.

And as if on cue, the usual smile was plastered on his lips, and he was back to the masquerade.

* * *

**It's been ridiculously long since I wrote anything Pokemon related stories, so pardon me if there are any odd parts in the story. The whole Kalos royalty is just an off-the-head kinda thing.**

**So here's a story on one of the most underrated (and also one of my favorite) couples in the Pokemon fandom (BlackSteelShipping). It was originally a one-shot, so aye, I've decided to continue this!**


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of pen scribbles scratched the air in the middle of the spacious office. Sunlight seeped through the window blinds, the quietness in the air blowing about like a gentle breeze. The day was calm, and Steven went about with his tasks for the day: signing documents, and more documents.

While Steven did not abhor doing paperwork, he would very much prefer to be out in the field, traveling and immersing himself in finding rare stones. Then again, sitting at a desk for half a day was part of his job. His only comfort was that he would be free to go after completing the stack, and so, the Hoenn Champion was earnestly drilling his way through the papers with his signatures.

The door to his office burst open without warning, and before he could control himself, Steven let out a long sigh.

"Go away, Wallace," he muttered without as much as lifting his head.

"I can't," his best friend trilled. "I have come with the mission to soothe your lonely heart."

"Thank you for the concern, but no thanks." Steven snapped.

"I'm sure you can recognize her from one of these people!" Wallace insisted as he shoved pictures of different ladies before Steven. The Hoenn Champion visibly cringed from his friend's efforts in gathering all of these photos.

Upon returning from Kalos, Wallace had asked him about his experience at the masquerade ball, and it took just a slip of the tongue for the Coordinator to get into a frenzy, the man spouting nonsense of how the most eligible bachelor of Hoenn has (finally) found love. The very idea of _the_ Steven Stone being interested in someone delighted Wallace, a lot. Even if that someone was a lady whose name he had no qualms about.

Wallace had immediately did some digging around for the top-secret guest list from the masquerade ball, and Steven would have applauded for his zeal and dedication, if not for the fact that this was about himself. He did not need romance as of now, and definitely not his friend finding romance for him.

"This lady is one of Kanto's richest socialite-,"

"Wallace," Steven interjected, the grip on his pen impossibly tight.

"- is smart but also rather shrewd, in my opinion -,"

"Wallace,"

"- but since she attended the ball, I thought I'd throw her into the mix-,"

"Wallace!" Steven raised his voice, slamming the pen down. His best friend, at long last, stopped his ranting.

"Please," Steven said evenly. "I'm working."

"Oh, fine," he groaned. "You're too married to your work," Wallace said pointedly as he gathered the photos.

"My bad," Steven replied wryly, his attention soon back to the documents. Wallace stared at his friend and shook his head.

"You know, the reason why I'm doing this is because of this state you're in," the Coordinator blurted out.

"What kind of state?" Steven asked while rapidly signing off another paper.

"This!" Wallace cried out exasperatedly. "This whole... Champion thing going on with you."

Steven fell silent, his pen still moving very fast with its practiced strokes.

"It doesn't suit you," Wallace said decidedly. It was ironic, in Wallace's opinion, that he would come to such a conclusion. When his best friend was crowned Champion two years ago, he had been so proud and happy for him. So were everyone else. Everyone believed that Steven Stone was born to be a Champion. He grew to have this image in people's eyes, and Wallace was well aware that the perfect image of the perfect Champion, was slowly forming around Steven. It was a mask, difficult to upkeep and to wear.

It made Wallace incredibly uncomfortable at how Steven had to hide behind this façade and stifle his true feelings.

"Perhaps," Steven lightly replied with a neutral expression on his face that irked Wallace. It also came as a form of motivation for the man, who silently swore that he will be the best matchmaker in the world for the sake of Steven. He will find the lady who intrigued his friend. He will find a partner for this lonely man with a mask.

"Now, if only you could tell me how she looked like, I would have it a whole lot easier," Wallace deadpanned loudly as he headed for the door. He then cast a glance at Steven, wanting to see how he would react.

To his surprise, a small smile found its way on Steven's lips, a smile Wallace thought he would never see on the Champion.

A smile obviously meant for that mysterious lady.

"Oh, my," Wallace gasped in wonder.

* * *

The old woman hummed a small little tune while chopping the parsley, clearly chipper than usual. The soup bubbled at the side, emitting an aromatic smell around the house as she worked. She soon switched off the fire, her wrinkled hands carefully filling the two bowls with hot soup. She then proceeded to bring them to the dining table and set them down carefully.

The main door clicked open, its distinctive creak perking the old woman's attention. A warm smile spread across her face, and she remarked, "Right on time, my dear."

"Grandmother," Cynthia called out. "Dinner smells heavenly, as usual."

"Well, it would smell even better if your grandfather knew better than to stay over at Kurt's when his eldest granddaughter is home for dinner after so long!" Her grandmother barked, clearly displeased with her husband's whim.

"Oh, grandmother," Cynthia laughed. "It's alright. It was my fault for informing you only two days ago anyway."

The old woman undid her apron and hung it by the side while beckoning her granddaughter to sit down. Upon hearing that Cynthia was coming back, the old woman had gone all out with her cooking. Cynthia herself had also rushed here as soon as work ended, eager to see her beloved grandmother after more than three months. The two then sat down, savoring the food and catching up with each other.

"How's that sister of mine?" Cynthia asked.

"Your younger sister's enjoying her youth," her grandmother chuckled. "With that boyfriend of hers."

"Boyfriend?" Cynthia gasped, her grip on her spoon loosening. "She's only nineteen!"

"She's at the perfect age if you ask me." Her grandmother said matter-of-factly. "I married your grandfather when I was twenty."

Cynthia pursed her lips and kept quiet as she drank another mouthful of soup.

"And as for you, I'm still waiting for you to bring a man here to visit," her grandmother said with a twinkle in her eyes. "You need a partner."

"Grandmother, you know I can't."

"Why not?"

"I'm," Cynthia paused, her eyes looking down at her blurry reflection in the bowl. "The Champion."

"Nonsense," her grandmother chided. "Not loving someone has never been one of the conditions to be a Champion."

"But grandmother," Cynthia reasoned. "I can't drag an innocent man into this kind of life I'm having. People will talk."

"Then let them, child," her grandmother said. "It's your love life, not theirs."

Cynthia wordlessly went back to staring at her empty bowl, looking uneasy. Things are not as easy as they sound.

"Cynthia, you fret too much," the old lady said and rested a hand onto her's. "Don't tie down your feelings just because you're a Champion."

Cynthia said nothing in reply, and her grandmother gently rubbed her hand, silently relieving whatever worries she was having inside her head.

"Now, why don't you tell me more about this young man that has caught your attention?" The old lady then said with a grin. Cynthia jolted, surprised by her grandmother's sudden question.

"W-Who?" The blond sputtered. She never mentioned _him_ to anyone, at all.

"My dear child, you know you can't hide it from me," the old lady chuckled with a glint in her eyes.

Cynthia swallowed a lump as her grandmother's sharp gaze was fixated on her. It did not need further words for Cynthia to know that her grandmother wanted answers.

"He's someone I met while I was in Kalos last week," Cynthia finally said, exasperated. Her grandmother visibly brightened up, her eyes full of expectations, and Cynthia could practically hear her thoughts.

"But I don't know who he is," the blond continued. "I don't even know what is his name."

A look of surprise revealed itself on her grandmother's face, and the old woman stoned there for a second.

"My," her grandmother murmured, crestfallen. "How unfortunate."

"Is it?" Cynthia replied dryly.

"But how is he like?" Her grandmother asked, persistent. "Surely there's something about him that attracted you-,"

"Attracted!?" Cynthia choked, embarrassed. She merely thought of him as intriguing. "Grandmother, I wasn't attracted-,"

"-Maybe his appearance, or his mannerisms?"

Cynthia stopped short at her grandmother's words, and an image of him popped into her head without warning. A smile that made her heart skip an uncharacteristic beat.

Her grandmother widened her eyes as she watched a blush develop on Cynthia's cheeks, the old lady surprised at this unexpected side of her granddaughter.

"Oh, my," she gasped in wonder.


	3. Chapter 3

His dress boots clacked against the hard, rocky ground as he trudged up the slope, his Metagross following closely behind him. In the middle of the rocky terrain, Steven felt overdressed, and very much so, considering how he was donning his suit and even wearing his cravat, while walking around Mt. Coronet.

His attire was making him sweat and the cold, musty air within the mountain stuck to his skin, and frankly, he was uncomfortable. Yet, he did not hate it, because this feeling was an indication that, at long last, he was far away from that desk, albeit temporarily.

He felt rather apologetic to the Elite Four members for leaving them to their own devices for a bit. While he did request for a month-long vacation and gotten it approved, he did not have the time to inform them of his sudden trip to Sinnoh. Then again, he had been too preoccupied with his plan to escape from Wallace.

Other than wanting to make himself scarce from the rantings of his best friend on love, marriage and anything in between, Steven really wanted to explore Sinnoh's famous mountains and Underground. It had always been a dream of his to travel around the world and excavate and study different kinds of stones and rocks. However, it has been difficult for him to sustain his interest, considering how his duties as a Champion and the heir to the Devon Corporation effectively took up most of his time.

He had actually purchased a villa at the Resort Area more than a year ago but never found the time to properly utilize it. Hence, he was ecstatic to finally be able to travel a great distance to Sinnoh, and put that poor villa to good use.

In his excitement, he had gone straight to one of the many entrances to Mt. Coronet without much preparation. Sorely lacking in tools and body protection, Steven made a mental note to himself that all he can do right now was to get a feel of the mountain and scout the place.

After he climbed down the next ledge with Metagross' help, he took a quick glance around the general area. The wild pokémon around here was sparse, and Steven continued traversing forward.

When he turned around the corner, he nearly collided with a cold metal surface. Surprised, Steven backstepped to get a better look at the gigantic mass that blocked the path. One look at the large number of sleeping Bronzongs huddled together made Steven hold his breath. By common sense, he was aware that accidentally waking all of these Bronzongs up will cause an uproar, but he had to get past them anyhow in order to get out of the cave.

With that in mind, Steven retreated quickly to behind the boulders and quietly formulated a plan in his head in seconds. He then softly relayed his course of action to Metagross, who calmly agreed to its trainer's plan.

The pokémon whirred a low growl and proceeded to carefully and skillfully use its telekinesis to lift the Bronzongs up, one by one, and transporting them to a less obstructive corner. The task required heavy concentration, and Steven made sure to not make a sound as Metagross worked its way through the hefty pile of metal.

After a good long while, the last Bronzong was moved out of the way, and Steven inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.

"Good job," he said with a smile towards his pokémon. Metagross merely whirred a merry noise in reply.

With the path cleared, Steven eagerly walked forward, until he noticed a pit skewed to the side of the path. The Bronzongs had done a good job blocking the pit entirely from sight, and Steven peered into it curiously.

A figure shuffled within, and from what he could make out of the figure, Steven observed that it was a woman.

"Finally," a smooth, velvety voice gasped in relief. She started moving in the dark, her feet trying to adequate footing for her to climb out of the pit.

Steven extended an arm towards her.

"Grab my hand,"

He saw her silhouette faltering for a second before reaching out, her hand resting on his. Steven widened his eyes incredulously, for the grip of the lady felt oddly familiar, and it sent a faint tingly feeling down his spine.

He secured his hand over hers, and tugged her upwards, whisking the trapped lady out of the pit. When he did so, the sparse moonlight was cast over her, and an epiphany struck Steven instantly.

It was her.

Her platinum blonde hair gleamed beneath the silvery light, her face in full view, and once again, his breath was stolen away.

Her hair was no longer styled like that during the ball, her long fringe swept to a side and hiding her left eye. Her right eye that was not covered by her fringe exuded the same power and confidence that she carried, and secretly, Steven thought that the hint of surprise shown on her face was cute. Dark ornaments reminiscent of Umbreon hung down from both sides of her hair, contrasting against the gray of her eye.

She was dressed much simpler than that day, but she was still as gorgeous.

_This must be illegal,_ he thought to himself as he flashed the same untrained smile at her.

"We meet again," he said with happiness bubbling inside him.

* * *

Cynthia was in a dilemma of sorts. She got off track while passing through Mt. Coronet with Garchomp, wanting to clear her mind off things for a bit. With Team Galactic getting rowdier lately, Cynthia had been on edge. Even today was spent on reports on Team Galactic, fending off a few of the Galactic grunts at Route 207 and appeasing the Chinglings riled up by Team Galactic in Mt. Coronet. She needed a breather, away from work and all the troubles cooked up by Team Galactic, however short it may be.

Yet she did not expect herself to run into a hoard of Bronzongs within the mountain, the group lazily hovering around. Not willing to get into any sort of conflict with the wild pokémon, Cynthia planned to hide from them in a pit until they passed them by. But by the sheer stroke of bad luck, the Bronzongs rested over the pit, effectively trapping Cynthia and Garchomp.

Her day could not get any worse.

"Garchomp, time to sleep here for tonight," she sighed. Garchomp did not look pleased, the pokémon letting out a whine. Cynthia only flashed a dejected smile and proceeded to make herself comfortable in the dark, cramp space. All they could do was to wait it out and hope for the best.

The wait was longer than expected, and with the exhaustion seeping in her bones, Cynthia soon fell into a slumber.

The same dream soon replayed in her head, the same peaceful dream that would come every so often in her sleep.

_She was wearing a mask and a beautiful gown while standing in the middle of a grand ballroom, alone. The same Tchaikovsky tune rang around her, and she looked around at the empty space._

_She felt a hand wrapping around hers, and she spun around expectantly._

_He smiled wordlessly at her and lifted her off to glide across the ballroom. She went along, too willingly, and her heart soared._

_Their dance. His smile._

She had missed it.

Garchomp glanced at her trainer, finding a soft smile sitting on her lips as she dreamt, and the pokémon was amused at this rare sight. It was only recently had Cynthia started to smile in such a way, and while Garchomp was not entirely used to it, it was still refreshing to look at. Her trainer often had that unbreakable mask on her countenance and seeing such a young and raw expression on made Garchomp feel relieved. At least Cynthia could relax some of that tension within her, even if it was through dreaming.

A small ray of moonlight suddenly shone through the darkness, illuminating the pit. Garchomp flicked her head upwards, finding the Bronzongs slowly shifting away from their only exit. She nudged Cynthia lightly, who rose from her slumber.

Shaking the sleep off, Cynthia got to her feet and watched the moonlight flooding in, a sense of relief washing over her.

"Finally," she heaved and headed towards the walls of the pit, ready to climb her way out, until a large hand presented itself before her.

"Grab my hand,"

The voice evidently belonged that to a man, and the first thought that came to her mind was how his voice was like that of water, fluid, calm and vast.

When she latched her hand onto his, she was confused, for his grip was comforting and heart-poundingly familiar. Her mind was troubled at the quickening pace of her heartbeat, but unfortunately, she was not given the time to process this odd phenomenon as the man pulled her out of the pit with little effort.

Being surprised was an understatement.

The outlines of his figure were gently illuminated by moonlight, and his silver-cerulean hair waved lightly in the air. His eyes reflected intelligence and a mysterious reticence that drew her in.

"We meet again," he said with that same smile.

"Yes, we did," she breathed with a soft, undisguised smile.

The man steadied her as she stepped out of the pit, her face so, so close to him. She halted her breath, surprised at his proximity, yet she did not pull away.

She did not dislike it, after all.

She paused, her gaze captured in his.

_She did not dislike it?_

A pregnant silence fell between the two and then did the man finally realized how close they were. He quickly stepped back, the smile converting to a neutral one.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," she answered, almost too quickly. He released his grip on her hand, and she looked down at her feet, feeling awkward.

"I'm Steven," he said. She looked up, seeing his hand extended towards her, but for an entirely different reason. She returned his handshake. As Champion-like as she could manage.

There was no need to hide her identity. Any person from Sinnoh would recognize her face anyway.

"I'm Cynthia," she replied with the usual smile.

"Cynthia?" He murmured. "You have the same name as the Sinnoh Champion."

She blinked, surprised.

He doesn't know that she is the Sinnoh Champion?

She then swiftly began to berate herself. Arceus, who is she to assume that everyone must know who she is?

"I've heard that a lot," she found herself saying. And immediately regretting it.

Why was she fooling this man on her identity?

She screamed internally, confused by her own actions. _This was not right! Not right at all!_

Yet she just went with the flow, for the deed had been done._ A small lie like this would not do much harm,_ she thought to herself.

"You're not from Sinnoh, are you?" She then asked, trying to steer the conversation to something else.

"I'm from Hoenn," he answered.

"Hoenn," she mused. "And your name's Steven."

He shifted his gaze to the side, and Cynthia grinned.

"So your name is the same as the Hoenn Champion as well," she teased. He jolted, and then cleared his throat.

"W-well, yes," he muttered. "It's not fun at all."

"I second that," she lied. Heck, now it seemed as if their only thing in common is that they have the same name as the regional Champions, even though she herself is that very Cynthia he was referring her name towards!

"How did you figure out that I'm not a native?" Steven then asked, looking genuinely curious. Cynthia swallowed a lump.

_Because you did not recognize who I am?_ She wanted to say but knew better than to stay on her high horse. She did not want to come off as being arrogant to this man, and definitely not blow her impromptu cover that she had created herself.

Though to be frank, she had no idea how the Hoenn Champion looked like either. Although Steven Stone had the reputation of being the sole heir to the Devon Corporation and a man born with a silver spoon, Cynthia has never been the type of person to chase after gossips or anything about other famous people beyond Sinnoh. To her, those were of their own business, and she has no reason, nor the energy, to invest her time on useless chatter about celebrities. Even when Steven Stone became the Hoenn Champion, Cynthia herself had been too busy traveling around Sinnoh and battling the gyms to even bother watching the news about him and his exploits. Even after becoming the Champion, she had never met him officially, for the Hoenn Champion had been busy during her coronation. And even though he was supposed to attend the masquerade ball with her, let's just say she did not have the heart to go and convene with him that day.

As the newest Champion, she had too much on her plate to focus on stuff beyond her region. She felt a little apologetic towards the Hoenn Champion, but that was just the way things were. Little, unfortunate misses that made both of them somehow slip past the other's eye.

_Well, I'll see him soon, maybe._ She reasoned to lighten her guilt. With the League Conference coming in about two months, she will, most definitely, see Steven Stone.

"It was a lucky guess," she hastily answered the man standing before her, before her eye spied the faraway pile of sleeping Bronzongs east of them, and finally noticed the Metagross hovering behind Steven. "Did your Metagross move those Bronzongs?"

"He did," Steven replied. "They were blocking the road, so I had to ask him to transport them away."

"With telekinesis?"

"Yes,"

"That's impressive," she exclaimed. "You must have trained your Metagross well."

"Thank you," he said with a slight nod of his head.

"No, thank you," Cynthia asserted. "I would have been stuck inside there for the whole night if you had not removed those Bronzongs away."

"Well, it was a lucky coincidence," Steven remarked. "I'm glad to have helped."

She flashed a grateful smile before she pointed at the direction of the exit and asked, "Are you heading out?"

"Oh, yes, I am," Steven answered.

"So am I," Cynthia smiled. "We could go together if you don't mind."

"Of course," Steven said.

They started walking down the path, with Garchomp and Metagross tagging along behind, the two pokémon engaging in a wordless conversation that involved a few glares and bumps in between.

"What are you doing on Mt. Coronet?" Cynthia inquired while glancing at his outfit. "You can't possibly be hiking in a suit, are you?" She laughed, amused.

"N-no," he said, looking embarrassed as he adjusted his cravat, and then added, "I'm just scouting the terrain to prepare for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"Rock excavating," Steven said enthusiastically. "It's been too long since I've done it."

"Same," Cynthia sighed morosely.

"You like searching for rocks and gemstones?" Steven immediately asked, his teal eyes practically bursting with passion, as if he was about to discover a fellow enthusiast.

_How cute._

Cynthia quickly canceled away the thought.

"No," Cynthia chuckled. "I'm interested in mythology and history, so I love exploring ruins. Especially the Solaceon Ruins. With all those glyphs and Unowns around, I can't ever get tired of it. And have you seen the Sinjoh Ruins? It's-"

She stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing that she's already ranting. To a stranger.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. "I got carried away."

"It's no problem," he said with a chuckle. "My friend often say I rant too much on rocks as well."

She smiled, feeling a sense of camaraderie with Steven. She remembered her younger sister often pointing that out about her.

"Plus, it's cute,"

Cynthia's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at him, befuddled. Steven himself paused, his expression stoning there for a second, seemingly to have just realized what he had just blurted out.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-," he said, flustered. "If I made you uncomfortable in any-,"

"It's not-," Cynthia said as she tried to tame her heart that was beating out of her control. "It's not uncomfortable."

She found herself staring at him firmly in the eye and declaring that phrase like some sort of confession. She was already horrified at her actions, and succumbing to the embarrassment was not an option. And with that, she willed her heartbeat to go back to normal.

"I see," Steven breathed a sigh of relief before he got back on track with their conversation. "Glad to see that both of us have similar interests."

"Indeed," she remarked, remaining composed. Steven grinned, looking really happy, and the word "cute" jumped into her head again like a bunny. She really had to stop these weird thoughts. It's unbecoming of a Champion.

"Would you like to join me tomorrow?"

"Pardon?" She said, surprised at his sudden invitation.

"I thought that it would be nice to have someone come along as well," Steven hurriedly explained. "It's quite lonely with just me and Metagross." He added while patting his pokémon, the metallic creature grunting in disagreement.

Cynthia's heart thumped, excited at the thought of gearing for a hike, for exploration. She knew she wanted to go. She would love to go exploring Mt. Coronet again, and maybe find some glyphs carved on some stone wall or a fossil somewhere.

But she cannot.

"I'm sorry," she said with her head hung low. "My work needs me."

She looked up, spotting a rather disappointed look on his face.

"I guess it can't be helped." He sighed in defeat.

"I'm really sorry," she said again, feeling really bad about this. "Even though you went out of your way to invite me."

"No, really, it's alright," he insisted. "I understand your position entirely. I mean," he scratched his chin pensively. "I was like you before I ditched work to come to Sinnoh after all."

"To excavate rocks?" She said incredulously.

"Yes," he admitted. "But in my defense, I have not taken a break from work in years."

"It's well-deserved then," she laughed.

"Yes, it is." He smiled good-naturedly. "I think you deserve a break too."

"Me?" Cynthia said in disbelief. "I can't,"

"Why not?"

"I...," Cynthia sighed. "I have to keep up appearances."

"Doesn't everyone?" Steven commented lightly. "We all live in masquerades, after all."

She smiled wryly. What an apt description.

"To quote what my friend always nag to me about" Steven mused. "You can afford to be yourself for a while." He then laughed dryly. "Though I am not doing a great job at it either."

"Neither am I," Cynthia shook her head. "It's hard to be me with... my job."

Now that she was having this conversation with Steven, Cynthia was yet once again reminded that being a Champion... is hard.

"I relate to that on a very personal level," Steven said. "Seems like we have a lot in common,"

"So it seems," Cynthia agreed with a chuckle.

They soon reached the exit, and it was a clear-cut signal that this was where they part ways. Cynthia found herself feeling reluctant to do so as she stole a look at Steven.

"I quite enjoyed our talk," She said as she extended her hand out.

"So did I," Steven agreed. The familiar feeling of comfort and security washed over her when he took her hand, and Cynthia fought bravely against the heat on her cheeks.

"Goodbye," she said, trying to hide the reluctance in her voice.

"Goodbye," Steven answered with a small bow and flashed _that_ same smile at her, shaking her heart yet again.

_This must be illegal,_ She thought to herself, frustrated.

Steven slowly walked over to his Metagross, his footsteps sounding forced, and almost, reluctant.

"Steven?"

He looked over his shoulder, his teal eyes gazing at hers.

"Can I go with you on your excavating trips?" Cynthia asked loudly over the draft that had suddenly picked up. "Probably not tomorrow, but perhaps, next week?"

His eyes shone beneath the moonlight, the blue within the swirling, and Cynthia held her breath as she awaited his reply.

"Of course," he beamed and retraced his steps back. He held out his phone, and continued, "I could contact you on the day and time if you give me your number."

"Great!" She grinned, her hands typing in her number as soon as she took over his phone. Steven looked exuberant as he retrieved his phone, smiling at her that way yet again. He then walked confidently to his Metagross and climbed up the metallic giant.

The warm mountain breeze tousled his hair, and he looked back at Cynthia, who sent back a smile at him.

"See you, Cynthia,"

Metagross then levitated higher and went off into the distance. Cynthia watched the pokémon and his trainer disappear over the distance.

"See you, Steven."

* * *

**I somehow managed to write the third chapter in like a day. Which is something worth celebrating about, I suppose.**

**So the idea with this take on Steven and Cynthia is really on how they come to meet each other not as Champions, but really simply as Steven and Cynthia, two unique individuals. Hence the plot device of them not knowing each other exactly. Rather forced, I guess, but we'll see how this goes.**


	4. Chapter 4

Steven was quite literally, on cloud nine.

Setting his spoils onto the table, he then exited the room. It took him a minute to return with a bunch of tools in his arms, and after eagerly placing them on the table, he exited the room yet again. Another few minutes of rummaging, he finally found his bench light, and he ran back to his study, his desk ready for him to set up.

He set to work, shifting everything into place just as he remembered, his mind mentally ticking a checklist to make sure he had everything right here.

Before long, an organized array of tools ranging from a microscope to the tiniest plier were laid out perfectly. Steven viewed at his perfect set-up with swelling pride, before sitting down onto the chair, preparing himself to get into his long-awaited rock refining session.

Mt. Coronet had been a treasure trove for him, and Steven had never been happier to see an entire bag of raw stones, ready to be polished to perfection.

Taking out his work glasses, he wiped it clean with one swift motion and wore it. Adjusting it smartly, he grinned widely, his fingers already itching to move.

At long last, Steven set to work, his hands meticulously chipping away any itty-bitty rocks, grinding away unwanted edges, making sure to keep any fragments. His tools flew about at different intervals, and Steven was entirely in the zone. He would switch lenses as necessary, and while hunger pangs would come forth, he would wholly ignore them, his attention entirely dedicated to polishing the stones he had excavated the day before.

Metagross would occasionally transport cups of water and a few plates of bread into the room, often forcibly setting it down onto the middle of his workspace, ensuring that his trainer will at least eat some carbohydrates and stay hydrated to keep his engine going. The pokémon knew how extreme his trainer could get when it comes to rock refining and stone polishing, and all he could do was to silently support Steven, and hope that he would be able to last through the whole pile.

It was when Steven started yawning consecutively for a quarter of an hour straight did he finally blearily glance at his watch. As much as he would like to continue, sleep was catching up to him.

He finally switched off the light, pushing his chair out and standing up. He dazedly headed for his bedroom, walking across the wide corridor while yawning again and again. The sleep monster tonight was fearsome. He tripped, barely caught by Metagross, his pokémon grunting in disapproval.

"Thanks, Metagross," he slurred. Metagross grunted yet again before he transferred his trainer onto his bed, and upon hitting the sheets, Steven's body switched off.

This continued for four days straight, and by the last stone, Steven was in a miserable state. His hair was greasy and unkempt, his chin stubble growing up like prickly grass, uncared grass, and his body felt terrible.

Setting the final, polished stone down, Steven blankly headed down to the kitchen, his head barely functioning and barely registering the inhumane feat he had achieved by polishing more than thirty stones in four days.

When Metagross saw his trainer finally walking down the stairs to the ground floor, he knew that Steven was finally done with his mission. The pokémon whizzed towards him, ready to catch the tired man anytime he got clumsy enough to trip over his own feet.

Swinging the fridge door open, Steven was greeted by nothing. He slammed it shut, greatly irritated, due to lack of food and lack of sleep.

He slapped himself. _Come on, Steven Stone, you brought this upon yourself, so get your act together._

Finally retrieving a bit of his sanity back, he decided to start off with a good, long shower, followed by the merciless shaving of his stubble, and brushing up on his oral hygiene. With those done, he went outside to grab an instant meal from the PokéMart, and returned home and reheated it in style with his trusty microwave.

Upon filling his belly, Steven was ready to go to sleep, this time, for a long, long while.

But before he laid on the bed, he thought he should check his phone that he had left abandoned for the past four days.

As the screen blinked to life, he narrowed his eyes in disdain at the number of missed calls by none other than Wallace. His phone then vibrated and the screen popped up with a call by his best friend. Steven sighed, finally begrudgingly accepting the call and readied himself.

"Where the hell are you?" Wallace's voice came shouting through his speaker.

"Seriously Wallace, three hundred missed calls?" Steven groaned, ignoring his friend's question.

"Three hundred calls for you to finally pick up!" Wallace cried. "Steven, where the hell are you?"

"Somewhere," Steven murmured while he shuffled out of his bedroom.

"For Arceus' sake, did you have to resort to disappearing without anyone knowing to get away from me?"

"Yes," Steven said. "And it's not as if I left without informing anyone. My mother and the Elite Four, except for Sidney, know where I am."

"So basically people who will keep their lips sealed shut," Wallace grimaced. "You're a sly one, Steven."

"Thank you for the compliment," Steven chuckled

"Now tell me where you are," Wallace ordered. "I swear, this time I managed to find your goddess."

"Wallace, for the umpteenth time, she is not my goddess!" Steven cried out. "I appreciate your thought, but no, I am perfectly fine, and happy to remain a bachelor. Please stop all this nonsense."

"No, Steven!" Wallace insisted. "Trust me, this time I'm sure I got the right lady-!"

"I've already found her, so no thank you!" Steven finally gasped in exasperation, tousling his hair, irritated.

A long silence ensued on the other end, and thinking that the conversation was over, Steven got ready to end the call.

"You found her!?" Wallace's voice came screaming seconds before Steven could click the button.

"Yes," Steven face-palmed himself as he sat on the bed. He probably should not have said that on the spur of the moment. Meanwhile, an obviously shaken Wallace started shooting questions of how, why and what.

"What's her name?" Wallace repeated yet again, after calming himself down just a little. Steven could feel his friend's burning curiosity even through the phone, and the man knew better than to deprive Wallace of his answer.

"... Cynthia," he finally answered.

"Cynthia, as in, the Sinnoh Champion?" Wallace exclaimed in alarm.

"No, she's," Steven hurriedly interjected.

"She's the lady I wanted to introduce you to!" Wallace continued. "She attended the ball as well, according to the list of guests. And she's the Champion of Sinnoh. And a ridiculously stunning lady. So I thought of her as my best bet."

Steven paused for a while, before he affirmed, "She's not the Champion."

"Huh," Wallace murmured. "That's weird."

"How so?"

"Well, there's no other Cynthia in the guest list."

Steven fell silent, his hand slowly distancing his phone away from his ear.

"Steven?"

"Oh," Steven jolted, pressing his phone back to his ear. "I see."

"So," Wallace slowly said. "Is she the Sinnoh Champion?"

Steven stayed quiet for a while before he answered slowly, "Maybe,"

"Maybe? Come on, Steven, you should at least know whether she looks like the Sinnoh Champion."

"The thing is, Wallace," Steven breathed. "I have no idea how does the Sinnoh Champion look like."

"You're kidding,"

"I most definitely am not."

Wallace let out a long sigh of disbelief. "What kind of rock have you been living under?"

Steven laughed dryly in response. "Say, mind if we end here for now? I'm exhausted."

"Wait, Steven, I still have questions-!"

"Bye, Wallace," Steven cut in and did not give any chance for Wallace to retort by ending the call immediately.

He threw his phone to the far end of the bed and fell flat into the comforts of the soft, fluffy sheets. He stared at the empty ceiling, one arm rested on his forehead as his mind drew a blank.

"Cynthia, huh?" He murmured to himself.

_Why did she lie?_ He wanted to ask. Yet, he somehow already knew the answer to that question.

Because it was the same reason why he lied to her.

* * *

Cynthia slowly waltzed into the Sinnoh League Building's library, the tall shelves framing the entire space from the ground up. She breathed in the familiar smell of books, the tension in her muscles relaxing.

While the League Building's library did not have as impressive of a collection like the Canalave library, Cynthia was satisfied with what it has to offer.

She sauntered to the back, to her favorite section in the whole library. Rows of books on Palkia, Dialga, and publications on research findings dotted the two shelves, and she carefully selected what she wanted to read. She had the rest of the afternoon all to herself, and she would use it to the fullest.

Upon choosing a thick book that discusses the Creation Trio, Cynthia went back to the main area and spotted a familiar figure already sitting in one of the armchairs, immersed in reading.

"Good afternoon, Lucian," she greeted.

The Elite broke from his trance and lifted his head up. He adjusted his purple-tinted glasses and smiled politely at Cynthia.

"Good afternoon, Cynthia," he said. "Great work at dispatching those Galactic grunts yesterday."

"It's all thanks to your information," Cynthia said, and then added, "Flint and I had a nice workout with them."

"Glad to hear that," Lucian remarked, his eyes setting onto the spine of the book she was holding. "I see that you're reading the same book again."

"Really?" Cynthia chuckled while flipping the book open. "I never noticed."

"You have quite the predictable taste, I must say," Lucian commented. "Have you ever delve into other genres?"

"Sometimes," Cynthia replied. "Though I may attempt to learn more about geology and minerals next week."

"Oh?" Lucian exclaimed, curious. "What's the occasion?"

"An acquaintance invited me on a trip to excavate rocks in Mt. Coronet," Cynthia explained. "Though the date and time have yet to be confirmed."

"Physical activities, I see," Lucian muttered with a hint of aversion. "Not my cup of tea. I'd prefer to sit here and enjoy the world from one spot."

Cynthia mildly laughed at his comment. The image of Lucian hiking up the mountain was laughably inappropriate, to say the least.

"Was it Roark who invited you?" Lucian then asked, his face turning a shade lighter. "If it was, I strongly advise you to turn down his offer. He can go to quite the extremes when it comes to mining, and as someone who has had the first-hand experience," he swallowed a lump nervously. "I can guarantee you that it was, positively, hell."

"Oh, no," Cynthia shook her head while suppressing her urge to laugh at Lucian's reaction. "It's someone else."

Lucian breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, I wish you luck, Champion."

"Thanks," Cynthia said with an amused grin on her face before the Elite went face-down to read his book. Going with the flow, Cynthia started off her little journey with the words in her own book.

Two hours in, Lucian suddenly spoke, "You seem distracted, Champion."

Cynthia looked up, surprised. "Am I?"

"Well, you've been glancing at your phone a number of times," Lucian pointed out. "And I sense that you're having troubles."

"As observant as ever,"

"Having a degree in psychology and working with psychic-types naturally makes you that way," Lucian explained candidly.

"Evidently," Cynthia agreed. The Elite has always been quick with things most people fail to see, and it was always useful when it comes to working. Such was the case when dealing with Team Galactic yesterday. But it was times like this that Cynthia was convinced that Lucian can read minds.

Cynthia glanced down at her book contemplatively, slowly flipping a page to the next, as if the answers to her troubles were written down there.

"Lucian, why do people hide their own selves?" Cynthia then asked, her eyes still browsing between the lines of words.

"Are you seeking for my objective explanation or my personal opinion?" Lucian clarified, shifting his glasses upward.

"Both, I guess," said Cynthia after a moment of recess.

Lucian closed his book shut, a thoughtful look on his face. Cynthia patiently waited, and after a good two minutes, Lucian spoke.

"Psychologically speaking, what you are referring to would be masking," he said. "It's an ability that everyone learns with age, and it manifests due to many factors. In more layman terms, masking is when a person conceals their real emotions by portraying another, and can also be defined as purposefully portraying a side of them to a specific individual. As to why so, it's because society expects us to behave in certain ways, and people want to be accepted by the people around them. Hence, they mask themselves."

Cynthia nodded her head in understanding.

"But personally speaking," Lucian continued. "I believe that masking is a crude way of describing such human behavior. Because there are many facets to an individual's personality, it is difficult to determine whether the side I'm portraying to another is a mask, or is it, just another part of myself."

Lucian then looked at Cynthia with a smile. "For example, your persona as the 'Sinnoh Champion' is different from the side you're showing me now as 'Cynthia', but it would be wrong to say that the 'Sinnoh Champion' is not you. Your love for battling made you the Champion, and as a result, your public persona, therefore, it is still a part of you. Similarly, this side of you that you're showing to me manifests because of our relationship as co-workers and friends, as well as our similar interests in books. It is a part of you as well."

"It's complicated, isn't it?" Cynthia sighed ruefully.

"Indeed," Lucian said. "I'm not even sure how much having a psychology degree has helped me to understand the human psyche."

"It did help," assured Cynthia. "It was insightful."

"You're welcome," Lucian said. "Well then, what made you think of such a profound question?"

Cynthia froze up a little before she exhaled.

"You could say I hid in front of someone else at the spur of the moment," Cynthia explained. "I've been trying to understand my behavior."

"So you hid your own self," Lucian nodded. "Which one?"

Cynthia paused. "The part of me that is the 'Sinnoh Champion'."

Lucian blinked with mild surprise. "I didn't expect anyone to not know who you are."

"That person isn't from Sinnoh,"

"Well, perhaps that might be why." Lucian agreed. "So you're confused why you hid your 'Champion' persona to that person."

"Yes,"

"Perhaps, you wanted to prevent them from having any preconceived notions about you?"

Cynthia said nothing for a while.

"And that you don't want them to treat you any different because you're the Sinnoh Champion?" Lucian concluded with a curious look at Cynthia, who pursed her lips in retrospection.

"Sounds about right,"


	5. Chapter 5

_"You don't want them to treat you any different because you're the Sinnoh Champion,"_

Lucian's words rang in her head, and Cynthia's mind was repeatedly going in circles with this single sentence. It stuck with her like glue, and she stood there quietly, deep in thought.

"You're early,"

She broke away from her reverie and raised her head. A smile automatically spread across her lips at the sight of Steven alighting from his Metagross, who also greeted her with a friendly whirr.

Although Steven contacted her just yesterday on their excursion, Cynthia took a work leave immediately. The League management was rather surprised at her sudden request but approved of it regardless. She trusted the Elite Four to be capable enough to cope with the paperwork without her for a day, and with that, here she was, hours before daybreak, at one of the many entrances to Mt. Coronet.

For their excursion, Steven wore the appropriate outfit for mining, completed with a large haversack pressing against his back. Cynthia herself made sure to dress in a simple blouse and work pants, with a pair of boots fit for hiking.

"So are you," she said while glancing at the time on her phone screen. "Thank you for inviting me."

"My pleasure," Steven said while he recalled Metagross into his pokéball. "How has work been the past week?"

"Busy," Cynthia muttered tiredly.

"I hope I did not affect your schedule," Steven said apologetically.

"Of course not," Cynthia hurriedly replied. "I actually looked forward to this."

"Likewise," Steven flashed her the same smile again before gesturing towards the entrance. "Shall we?"

"Gladly," she said.

Yet after two hours in, they have yet to find any shard of stone, for the mountain walls had little to offer, resulting in Steven to look rather crestfallen.

"I might have cleared out this area too quickly last week," Steven sighed as he rubbed his temples. "My apologies, I had been too enthusiastic."

"It's alright," Cynthia said. "We could always go in deeper, or the Underground. Whichever you prefer."

Steven visibly brightened up. "The Underground, oh, yes, that slipped my mind!"

He soon fished out a drill from his backpack, looking excited. Cynthia could positively see the stars twinkling in his eyes and she chuckled to herself. That child-like innocence he held when it came to mining and rock excavation was quite interesting to look at.

Steven soon used his Explorer's Kit to create an entrance and descended downwards carefully. Soon after he disappeared into the hole, he gave the go-ahead for Cynthia to come down.

Upon touching solid ground, Cynthia stood up and scanned around the dimly lit area. It has been years since she had come down to the Underground, and the sight of it sent waves of nostalgia to Cynthia. On the other hand, Steven was in awe, the sparkles in his eyes burning even brighter.

"Is this your first time here?" She inquired.

Steven flushed red as he took out a radar from his haversack. "No, I've been here a few years back, but the Underground has always fascinated me."

"It is quite exciting," she admitted. "Where do we start?"

Steven glanced at the radar's screen, it's beeping gradually becoming louder as he approached the wall to his left.

"Here will be good," Steven grinned and dug out a pickaxe and a hammer from the depths of his haversack. "Seems like we've gotten lucky this time."

Swinging his helmet onto his head and flashing the headlights on, Steven crouched down and focused his attention onto the particular area on the wall. He positioned the radar closer, and when the beeping started blaring, a confident grin emerged on his face. He swung down the hammer surely onto the rocky wall, working his way through the dense matter. Cynthia stood by his side, observing how Steven would carefully assess the conditions of the area and switched between his tools with ease.

When a glint blinked from the cracks, Steven let out a gasp of glee, his trained hands prying the stone out of the rocks' bosom. Cynthia, amazed at his skill and efficiency, gasped in wonder.

"That was amazing," she said while Steven dusted off the rock fragments off the stone that was about the size of his palm.

"Why, thank you," Steven smiled amiably in return. "But this is the truly amazing one."

He held out the rough stone towards her, and Cynthia stared at it, entranced. It had a faint sunshine glow to it and a swirl of deep amber gleaming within it. The colors seemed to intertwine with each other under the orange lighting of the Underground like ethereal silk, the jagged edges sparkling with spots of light. It seemed oddly wild yet serene all at once.

"A Shiny Stone," she said with delight and Steven nodded his head in reply.

"See the bit of silver inside?" Steven then said as he pointed at the center of the stone. Cynthia looked more closely, immediately noticing a hint of silver that sparkled in the midst of the stone, and she watched it curiously. It does not flow with the gold and amber, and instead stays put at its spot, unyielding.

"That's an impurity," Steven murmured, stroking the stone with his thumb. "Although it's small, it will be hard to get it out from the center. But that's what makes this stone unique, don't you think?"

Cynthia met his warm gaze, and she glanced back towards the stone in a hurry.

"Yes," she whispered.

Giving her a soft smile, Steven then placed the stone into his haversack, looking satisfied and ready to move to the next one. Meanwhile, Cynthia turned to look at the dent Steven had made in the wall, and she widened her eyes.

"Steven?" She called out.

Steven spun around, just to see Cynthia pointing towards the wall.

"There's something else in there," she said. Steven crouched down, peering into the rocky crevice, his soft hair brushing past Cynthia's cheeks.

He smelled of... coffee.

"Oh!"

She jolted, surprised by his voice. Steven pressed a finger towards the tiny crack that revealed a splash of aquamarine.

"Great job noticing this," Steven commented. "I missed it entirely."

He glanced at Cynthia and then spun to his left to retrieve his tools. Turning back around, he gestured towards the stone with a tilt of his head.

"Would you like to try taking it out?" He said as he waved the pickaxe lightly.

"Oh, no," Cynthia replied, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I might chip the stone."

"Don't worry," Steven said. "I'll guide you."

Cynthia bit her lower lip, nervous, and she hesitantly grabbed onto the pickaxe. She looked back to the rocky wall and stared hard at the crack.

"Before you swing down the pickaxe, change the angle of your swing," Steven said, his finger pointing towards the right of the crack. "Make sure that you're not applying the force directly onto the rock around the stone."

Nodding her head, Cynthia changed the orientation of the pickaxe and aimed it towards the edges. She then swung it lightly, causing bits of the edges to fall apart.

"Hang on," Steven murmured. He inched closer to her and his hand wrapped over hers gently. His chest was an inch away from pressing against her back and she could hear his breathing that echoed within the Underground. Stunned, Cynthia's mind went blank as Steven guided her hand to swing the pickaxe, this time, sending a stronger impact at the edges, shattering the rock immediately. The blue of the stone expanded and the crack widened.

"It should be easier now," Steven said as he released his grip and moved backward. "Try it."

Cynthia nodded, and though she was still confounded from his closeness, she steadied her hand and swung her pickaxe down again. The wall trembled slightly, and taken aback, she sent a worried glance at Steven.

"It's alright," He assured. Cynthia then continued, chipping away the rock bit by bit. With every light swing, the hole expanded, revealing the turquoise stone more and more.

"Alright, this should be enough," Steven said after Cynthia's tenth swing. "Hit the area around the stone with the hammer to loosen it and then, slowly twist the stone out of its position."

She did as she was told, her left hand cautiously smacking the wall with her hammer with dull knocks, her right fingers digging into the edges, and carefully, she took the entire stone out.

At the sight of it, she involuntarily let out a sigh, enamored with its appearance. The stone was aquamarine in color, its translucency allowing the light to filter through into a myriad of iridescent colors. It emanated a sense of calm dignity, something Cynthia found to be very different from the Shiny Stone from before.

It reminded her of something.

"That's a beauty,"

She stole a glance to her right, while Steven then similarly turned to his left, meeting Cynthia's gaze, the same aquamarine within her sight.

"You should keep it," he said.

She waved her hand. "No, I can't possibly-"

"You did take it out yourself," Steven asserted. "No worries, I'll polish it well and pass it back to you once I'm done."

She gazed at the stone, her gray eye reflected on it.

"Then I shall take up on your offer,"

* * *

_Focus, Steven._ He scolded himself for the third time after nearly slamming the wrong spot yet again. The wall could only hold up for another bit of force, and no mistakes can be afforded.

Upon taking out the stone, Steven found himself feeling a slight pang of disappointment within him. The luster of the stone was obviously lacking, especially when compared to the Shiny and Water Stone from before. Sighing, he placed the dull stone into his haversack, and as he did so, he caught a glimpse of golden locks that was tied up into a bun. He involuntarily looked up, fixated on her figure that was focused on mining.

Cynthia was an incredibly fast learner, and it took only a few tries to get the hang of it. By now, she was capable of tackling stones that were fair in difficulty to take out, and occasionally she would pop a question on rock formation or on how to better locate crystals within the rock walls. Steven was not complaining about her progress, but he wished that she would slow down a little.

Although Cynthia did not show signs of being impatient, he observed her to be in a constant state of flux. Her quick learning pace was one thing, but her desire to get good at a skill she just learned was astounding.

It was almost as if she was in a hurry to become independent.

He silently remarked how that was probably the quality that allowed her to become the Champion. Yet, at the back of his mind, he was aware of how lonely it can be, to be someone who has to constantly pull ahead of others in order to prove yourself.

Because he was the same as her.

Glancing into his haversack, the Shiny Stone shimmered back at him with colors of the sun while the silver impurity remained unmoving. The bright yellow hues of the stone were similar to how her hair would gleam under the light.

"Cynthia," he called out. The blond stopped, her hands finally pausing in its constant movement.

"Shall we take a break?"

She nodded in agreement and set her tools down. Steven removed his gloves before he dug deep into his haversack and took out two pieces of store-bought bread, a large flask, and two small cups.

"Do you mind coffee?" He asked, and Cynthia shook her head in reply.

After preparing the drink, he sat down, leaning against the wall and next to Cynthia, who carefully wrapped her hands around the cup. They remained silent, with Steven taking small nibbles and sips of coffee. Cynthia was in a pensive mood, her index finger rubbing against the cup in a slow, thoughtful manner. From this short period of time he has known her, Cynthia seemed to have the habit to fly away with her thoughts.

"Are you enjoying this?" Steven finally broke the silence with a question.

"Oh, very," Cynthia replied with a smile. "It's good for a change of pace."

"Though I must say, you are good at mining," Steven laughed. "I was quite surprised."

"It's similar to excavating ruins, in more ways than one," Cynthia explained. "That's why it's easier for me to get used to it."

"I doubt that's the only reason," Steven said, his hand scrunching up the bread wrapper. He turned to his right and met her single storm gray eye that looked back at him curiously.

An eye that instantly reminded him of the unyielding bit of silver in the Shiny Stone.

"Has anyone ever told you how tenacious you are, Cynthia?"

She blinked, nonplussed by his comment. Amused at her confusion, he let out a chuckle before turning his head back and he sipped another mouthful of coffee.

"I suppose, yes," she replied after a short while. "Although people tend to overexaggerate it. I can't be tenacious all the time, after all."

"Point taken," Steven said.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm cut out for things," she muttered, her hands wrapping around the cup. "Especially with what I'm doing right now in my life."

Steven remained silent, finding her words to have struck a chord inside him. He wondered that too, and sometimes, too often.

_"It doesn't suit you,"_

Wallace's words repeated itself in his head, and Steven stared into his already empty cup, the coffee residues lining the bottom.

"I'm sure you're cut out for it," he said.

"How so?" Cynthia asked.

Steven stared harder into the cup, contemplative until he shrugged. "I just think so,"

"I doubt it's as simple as that," Cynthia remarked.

Steven tittered as he set his cup onto the ground, "I won't deny that."

He rested his arms over his knees and looked at Cynthia in the eye. She flinched, surprised at the eye-contact, but does not break away.

"Has anyone told you how beautiful you are, Cynthia?"

She was visibly flustered, her cheeks growing pink from his unexpected compliment.

"I don't see how does my physical appearance have anything to do with this," she said hurriedly while looking into his eyes with the same unyielding gaze. Time seemed to expand with his increasing heartbeat. He did not quite understand what was this feeling, but he certainly did not mind it.

"I'm not referring to physical beauty," Steven said. "I'm referring to the beauty inside of you."

His hand seemed to have become disconnected with his mind as it reached out towards Cynthia, his finger lightly pushing her fringe out of the way. Her eyes, both in full view, widened with surprise and incomprehension.

"I think you're beautiful,"

Suddenly aware of what he was doing, Steven withdrew his arm and hastily cleared his throat. Cynthia too averted her gaze, her fringe falling back to hide her profile. Steven could feel his heart hammering in his chest, and he clasped his hands tight in an attempt to calm it down.

"You have a strength I don't," Steven continued as he eased himself. "There's something about you that makes me sure that you're definitely capable at doing whatever you're doing."

He stole a glance at her covered profile, wondering what she was thinking. Even he himself was flustered by his own actions so it would not be strange if she was weirded out by his physical touch. Was he too assertive? Does she feel uncomfortable with his compliments?

He inwardly sighed, looking the other way in a bid to hide his embarrassment. Despite people's praises for his gentlemanly demeanor, in truth, Steven had no idea how to deal with women. Especially since most of them would throw themselves at him, attracted to his wealth and prestige.

So when Cynthia had none of that behavior, he found it to be a breath of fresh air.

Because she treated him simply as Steven.

But, what if she knew who he was?

A sense of unease and dread filled him, but not for long, for Cynthia spoke, "No one has ever said that to me before,"

He snapped his head around, and Cynthia was pursing her lips and parting her fringe, allowing him to catch a glimpse of her countenance.

The look of happiness and embarrassment mixed into one expression sent a tingle of relief to Steven. She then smiled at him, and time contracted in tempo with his heartbeat.

"That was a rather good confidence boost," she finally said. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Steven replied. The atmosphere around them felt rosy, and Steven was not used to it. He still did not understand this feeling, but he thought that any longer, his heart might not be able to take it.

Standing up, he dusted his pants and grabbed his empty cup.

"Shall we get back to mining?"


	6. Chapter 6

It's the sound of rain.

Pitter-patters rang from beyond her office, and she stayed silent within the symphony. Resting her forehead against her clammy palms, she exhaled. She slowly eased her breathing, the fatigue creeping up her back, and she shuddered. After staying up for three nights straight, Cynthia was incredibly exhausted.

Team Galactic recently succeeded in one of their operations, and the League suffered considerable damage. Cynthia had her hands full tracking them down and trying to negotiate with the International Police that there was definitely no foul play involved. The rise in criminal activity by the elusive Team Galactic was raising suspicions of corruption within the Sinnoh League, and Cynthia was at a loss.

Her authority as Champion was being questioned.

Being the first female Champion in this patriarchal society, she had expected such criticisms to come her way. But staying strong was what she had to do. She needed to prove that she is stronger than anyone else.

She must not break.

Not now, at least.

Leaning back against her armchair, she heaved a heavy sigh, thumb massaging the center of her forehead to release the tension to little effect. There was no time for them to spend on internal conflict, and at this rate, any control over the situation will be surrendered to Team Galactic.

The only fortunate thing was that the current predicament remained under wraps from the public, so her reputation was still safe. She would not want herself to appear on national television to have her name stained.

And most importantly, she did not want to let him see her real identity.

While she was struggling with her thoughts, her phone jingled a tune. She glanced at the screen, where a name was displayed on it.

She paused momentarily before she reached her hand out for the device.

"Good evening, Cynthia."

"Evening, Steven," She muttered.

"I'm done polishing the Water Stone," he said, his voice akin to ripples on the water. "And I was wondering if you are free any time soon so that I can hand it over to you."

A silence drizzled amidst the sound of rain.

It had only been barely a week since their excursion, and she missed his company. Funny, she thought. She had never expected to feel so close to anyone so quickly before.

It was still an unknown feeling when it comes to him, but Cynthia knew that she would not mind meeting him again.

_Yet..._

"I...," She began.

The rain poured louder amidst her hesitation.

"I'm sorry," she finally murmured, her shoulders sinking, hand gripping onto the armrest. "I doubt I will be free anytime soon."

Another drop of silence.

"It's alright," he said in reply, and Cynthia could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"I might be free next month." She added hastily.

A barely audible sigh rang out from the speaker.

"The thing is, Cynthia," Steven said slowly. "I'll be returning to Hoenn at the end of this month."

Her grip on her phone loosened just a little as she froze.

"I can send it to your address if you'd like."

She said nothing for a long while, her heart trying to deal with the bunch of emotions that were contained within herself.

"That would be convenient," she said with much difficulty. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said gently, and she pursed her lips at the sound of his voice, which came in louder than the sound of rain.

"By the way," he suddenly said. "Are you alright?"

She held her breath. A howl of wind slapped at the windows, the sound of rain going bonkers with its rhythm.

"Cynthia?"

In the middle of the cacophony, she could hear the sound of her tears.

"I'm fine,"

* * *

Having connections with the International Police had its perks.

Other than being able to work alongside with the organization when it comes to research and development of gadgets and software, Steven, as the heir to the Devon Corporation, knew more things than the public.

So when Looker warned him about troubles going on in Sinnoh, Steven was immediately worried.

He had never expected that a criminal group would have bombed a highly guarded research facility in Sandgem, and the fact that Cynthia was facing all sorts of accusations due to this incident was enough to keep him on his toes.

Pacing around his study, he sent multiple glances at his phone that laid innocently on the table, contemplating whether he should bother her about the Water Stone he managed to finish polishing, or even ask if she was coping well with the situation. Showing his concern so out of the blue would only make her suspicious, and Steven certainly did not want that.

It took an agonizing hour for him to finally make his decision, and soon the deed was done.

"Good evening, Cynthia," he greeted carefully.

And when she returned the greeting, he found himself taking a hefty breath.

"I'm done polishing the Water Stone, and I was wondering if you are free any time soon so that I can hand it over to you."

He said that all very fast, his feet feeling like lead as he stayed rooted to the ground. An uncharacteristically long silence came along, and Steven waited with bated breath, worry filling his lungs. The sound of rain expanded in the background, like an instrument to hasten his anxiety.

"I...," she said after a long while. "I'm sorry, I doubt I will be free anytime soon."

Steven felt his heart falling more than he expected, and clenching his fist, he replied, "It's alright,"

Even though he knew it was most definitely not alright.

"I might be free next month," her urgent voice came, and he felt his heart fall further.

"The thing is, Cynthia, I'll be returning to Hoenn at the end of this month." He murmured regretfully, almost hating himself. "I can send it to your address if you'd like."

If he had known that this gloomy feeling in his chest would trouble him so, perhaps making this call had been the wrong choice.

He misses her, and he knows it.

And now it only made him feel worse.

"That would be convenient," she said, and Steven held his phone tighter the moment he heard her voice. "Thank you."

She sounded... strained.

Yet another seed of worry planted itself within him, and he bit his lower lip, feeling almost impatient.

_Impatient about what?_

"You're welcome," he said in reply, thinking that it should be about time to end this conversation that seemed to be making him feel heavier and heavier by the second.

"By the way," he found himself saying, and before he could stop himself, the question he wanted to ask her most, revealed itself.

"Are you alright?"

When she became absolutely quiet with the sound of rain hammering in his speaker, the seeds of worry germinated and he cautiously called out her name.

"Cynthia?"

He spoke her name with so much care as if it was snow that could melt away any second, like an existence that would disappear.

A sniffle came from the other end, and Steven's mind went blank for a split second.

"I'm fine," her voice spoke softly as if she was scared that he would hear her.

And he did.

The sound of her tears.

"Cynthia," he said. "Where are you now?"

"Eh?" She said, confused by his question. Another barely audible sniffle came, and Steven gritted his teeth, not knowing what was this unknown feeling in his heart.

But he knew what he wanted to do at this very moment.

"I want to see you."

* * *

**A rather short chapter this time, but I thought it would be apt for the current emotional stress Cynthia is going through. The next chapter would probably be longer, so I guess I'll take more time to write it too!**

**And congratulations, I am officially an idiot for confusing Team Galactic and Team Plasma for the last six chapters. Thank you to G who pointed that out. Now I can stop embarrassing myself for the following chapters hahaha.**

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews as well! I really appreciate it :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"I want to see you,"

For a moment, Cynthia's heart definitively took a misstep, and her shoulders dropped in both relief and denial. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, her very being confused yet comforted by such a simple phrase. She has almost never heard this phrase before, much less it being uttered by a man she barely knew.

Yes, she barely knew him, yet she had shown her weakness.

She understood that he had heard her crying as clear as day, and she felt angry for letting her guard down. She was not supposed to be like this. She was the Champion and no tears were allowed. But somehow, before him, a crack has been made on her mask.

She struggled. Truly, she did. She struggled between wanting to return his sentiments to soothe her own heart and rejecting it to maintain her façade to protect herself. It took her a good long while before she finally decided on the latter.

"Thank you," She said evenly. "But please, you don't have to go out your way to come and see me. I don't want to trouble you."

He was silent, and Cynthia was painfully aware that a small part of herself wanted him to say that phrase again, to convince her that she can tell him who she really was.

"I-," he began.

The sky rained bullets at her window, highlighting the cacophony that was ringing in her heart as she hurriedly cut in, "I'm fine, really."

It was forceful, and she knew it. So did Steven, for he carefully answered, "Alright."

"I'll send you my address via text," she then said. "Thank you for polishing the stone and... sorry for the trouble."

"No worries about that," Steven replied, his voice rippling over the speaker like a warm blanket. "I suppose this is goodbye,"

A small silence followed. A silence was enough to chill her beating heart, as the strange thought of never seeing him again washed over her head.

"For now?" He added questioningly.

_For now._

"Yes, I suppose it is," Cynthia affirmed.

"Bye, Cynthia." He said.

At least, their strange bond was not yet cut.

"Bye, Steven."

At least, this was not the end.

* * *

Steven had been mulling over this little knot in his heart as he sat at his work station, his finger absently rubbing the cool surface of the Water Stone. A glass of wine sat on the side, a half-empty bottle partnered with it. At moments like this, Steven needed a little bit of alcohol. Just a little, really.

Had he been too obtrusive in her matters? He wondered to himself. It was a first for him to meddle so much in someone else's personal matters, especially when it was someone he knew for less than a month. He remembered her quick rejection to his question, telling him not to trouble himself over her, and saying one last "I'm fine" before they exchanged goodbyes with one another.

He packed the stone into the box, wrapping it up as neatly as he could in his tipsiness. He scribbled down the address she had sent and slapped the sticker down on the top. The address belonged not of the Sinnoh League Building and was instead to somewhere in Celestic Town, and Steven felt his insides souring at the sight of his own writing.

She did not trust him... enough.

Her identity was apparent to him, and he had hoped for her to come clean, however, that did not happen. But who was he to criticize her methods, when he himself committed the same fault as her?

He made no sound, walking towards the front door with a vacant look. Calling out his Skarmory, he instructed the metal bird to deliver the parcel to the nearest post office.

The door closed and left all to himself, Steven flopped onto the couch, letting out an uncharacteristic grunt of agony.

Steven wondered what to make out of their relationship.

Acquaintances? Not exactly. Steven would like to think of Cynthia to be more of an acquaintance. "Friends" was not exactly the right word either. They both kept too many secrets from each other to classify themselves as friends.

And he thought of her as more than a friend. Yet, not really. This whole thing was a confounding mess.

It was... just a relationship, he finally decided. Perhaps a relationship that would always be stuck in the middle of acquaintanceship, friendship, and a whole lot of something else.

But does that even matter? He sighed inwardly. He was leaving Sinnoh very soon, and there was no reason why he should disorder himself over such a trivial matter.

Since the next time, they will meet will not be as Steven and Cynthia. But instead, as Champions.

The knot in his heart tightened, and Steven stared at the blank ceiling sardonically, not knowing how should he interpret this supposition.

All of a sudden, she seemed so close, yet so far.

Clambering out of his couch, he reached out for his phone that laid solemnly on the coffee table. Scrolling through his contacts, he then stopped at Cynthia's profile, reading that number that he could not bring himself to call.

He was scared, he realised. Scared that this strange relationship that they have between themselves would be broken the second he tells her that he's Steven Stone, heir to the Devon Corporation and the Hoenn Champion. Or that he tells her that he knows who she is; the Sinnoh Champion.

And he had been caught in this internal turmoil ever since he knew about her. Whether to tell her himself, or wait for her to tell him herself.

He did not know exactly what he wanted.

Did he want to become proper friends with her, or introduce himself as her colleague and keep their relationship strictly for business?

Or did he want to cross into _that_ territory and hold hands with her?

He nearly dropped his phone at his surprise towards his own thoughts. Vehemently shaking his head, he removed that stupid idea out of his mind. What in Arceus was he thinking?

"I must be drunk," He slapped a palm to his face and groaned to himself.

Scrolling down further, he then found the contact he had been searching for. He mused to himself for a moment, before he clicked the call button.

Despite their grey relationship, Steven knew one thing.

He wanted to help her.

The call connected, and Steven took in a quick breath.

"Looker, it's me, Steven."


	8. Chapter 8

It felt like an eternity since Cynthia had any semblance of sleep. Her eyes were barely kept open as she tottered towards her bedroom, a voice inside her head commanding her to reach her destination without fail.

After days of writing expenditure reports and talking to Looker, the agent dispatched by the International Police, she was exhausted. The physical and mental toll was great, and she could not wait to properly fall into dreamland.

The friction between the International Police and the Sinnoh Pokémon League had fortunately been resolved, and all allegations against her were removed. The spark was extinguished before it could catch fire, and Cynthia was glad that the entire fiasco was over and kept under wraps from the public.

Yet, the ease at which the issue was solved was rather odd to Cynthia. It took only less than a week for Looker to cease his investigation, even though the agent himself was known to be an impeccable surveyor. Looker had claimed that he received enough evidence, thus the investigation need not continue, so Cynthia did not probe in further.

But what struck her as curious, was after she had thanked Looker for his hard work, the agent had grinned mysteriously and replied, "You should thank him, not me."

"Who?" She had asked.

"Oh, Ste-," Looker nearly blurted out before he hastily bit down on his tongue. "My, that was close."

Their conversation had ended there, but from this short exchange, Cynthia was made aware of this unnamed helper that had assisted her in the gathering of solid evidence to prove her innocence on the matter. And that he had purposefully hidden his identity from her.

While curious as to who he was and his affiliation to herself, Cynthia was grateful to him regardless. Without his help, the investigation would have well dragged into the next month and left her with more sleepless nights to deal with.

She blacked out at the very instant she buried herself into the bed, and when she finally rose from her slumber, it was late evening the next day, and Cynthia was once again reminded of how long she has not slept.

She had to thank her mysterious benefactor, once she gets the chance to.

After a few hours of trying to get back into the usual swing of things, which included a much-needed bath, she felt more refreshed than ever. She then sank into her armchair next to the fireplace with a book in hand, the fire crackling a merry tune as she got ready to wind down.

Three chapters in, Cynthia was suddenly reminded that she did not have any plans whatsoever the next day. Oddly, she was perturbed by this. She was given three days of rest after her tolling throughout the stressful period, and while thankful for the break, she was rather lost that she had nothing on her hands at the moment.

She glanced at the calendar sitting on the side table, trying to remember what date it was today. Time had passed without her knowing, and somehow, it was already three days before the end of the month.

As she pondered on her plans for the remaining days of the month, a knock on the door came and Cynthia went forth to greet her visitor.

"Delivery for Cynthia Shirona, from Margaret Shirona of Celestic Town." The deliveryman said as he passed a small box and a slip of paper to her. "Please sign here."

After completing the necessary procedure, Cynthia thanked the deliveryman, who tipped his hat goodbye and left. Closing the door, Cynthia's eyes sparkled with anticipation, aware of what was within the box.

_The Water Stone. _

She briskly walked to her armchair and sat down, her fingers carefully prying the box open. She had asked her grandmother to forward her the package delivered to their house in Celestic Town, and here it was.

It was a rather roundabout way to receive this package, but Cynthia thought it was necessary. She could not risk providing him with the address to the Sinnoh League Building, nor could she provide him with her actual residential address, for she lived at none other than the Champion's Residence.

Opening the cover, Cynthia noticed yet another smaller box contained within and a slip of pink paper folded in half on top of it. She took it out, and read its contents:

_To my dear granddaughter,_

_Do provide us on an explanation about your relationship with this young chap. Your grandfather has been unbearably disconcerted since he found this package at our doorstep._

_Love, _

_Grandma._

_P.S. Do come and visit us soon. With him, of course._

Cynthia sighed, exasperated by this little note. Of course, they would be intrigued by this, and she mentally told herself to prepare a proper explanation that he was simply a friend- no, an acquaintance.

Yes, he was simply an acquaintance.

She looked at the box, noticing the blue lettering of her name and the address.

Upon opening the box, she was at a loss of words as a swirl of aquamarine and ocean blue filled her vision, the warm glow from the fire accentuating the quiet sparkle of the Water Stone. It seemed to sing as the light danced around it, and Cynthia could not help but become mesmerized at the sight of it.

After a good long while spending in awe of the stone, Cynthia then picked up the card next to it, the same neat handwriting on the back of it.

_Dear Cynthia,_

_I hope this note finds you well. As promised, here is the Water Stone you have so expertly found. The excursion had also been very enjoyable with your company, and I do hope to go on another one when you are free to do so. And please, do take care._

_Regards,_

_Steven._

Her eyes reread his last sentence, five simple words that seemed to be filled with genuine care and concern.

_And please, do take care._

Without warning, her mind rewound itself to that rainy day, to their phone conversation.

_I want to see you._

Heat flushed up onto her cheeks and Cynthia convinced herself that it was perhaps too warm due to the fire. Yet, his voice resounded in her head, and she felt almost embarrassed at how flustered she was by it.

Somehow, Steven had a way with words that would strum her heartstrings and Cynthia did not know how to deal with it at all. She slapped her cheeks, trying to dispel the heat rising in her chest, and yet when she laid eyes onto the Water Stone, she was immediately reminded of his gaze. A gaze so full of sincerity and respect, a gaze like that of a blue sea.

Her cheeks glowed red for the first time in her life, and Cynthia, in the face of such unknown emotions within her, sank deeper into her armchair, confused.

Perhaps, her grandmother had been right on the mark.

She stole another glance at the Water Stone that rippled with a warm blue glow, and with quivering lips, she finally concluded herself.

She was attracted to Steven.

"I want to see you too," She whispered, the fire replying with a sonorous crack.

* * *

Steven twirled his pen, again and again, while Metagross watched its trainer absently looking into the distance, towards the vast landscape outside of the villa. He was supposed to be cleaning up his workspace and packing his luggage, but somehow, his nervousness was preventing him from doing so.

This continued for some time until Steven's phone rang, and he placed his pen down on his work station. He took in a deep breath and with a quick swipe, he picked up the call.

"Good evening, Father."

"Well, you could just call me 'Dad', Steven. We're not speaking in front of business partners." Joseph Stone chided.

"Right," Steven said.

"Stiff, aren't you." His father replied with a chuckle before his tone turned serious. "So you do know why I am calling you while you're on your vacation."

"Yes," Steven said, solemn.

"While I did teach you the importance of connections and how they will be helpful for you in the future, I certainly did not teach you to use it for your personal gain, Steven." Mr Stone reprimanded. "Although the International Police perceives that you are trying to help with their investigation into the Sinnoh League as the Hoenn Champion, you should be aware that if others were to know of your involvement, it will affect your image as the heir of the company."

"I understand,"

"Devon's relationship with the International Police is nothing more than as partners in technology research and development, and if it were to go beyond that, we would risk scrutinization from the public and the government."

"Yes, I apologize," Steven replied. "I was aware of the possible repercussions of my actions, but I reasoned that I had to do it."

"To help Cynthia, the Sinnoh Champion?"

"Yes," Steven breathed. "She was in quite the predicament, and as a fellow Champion, I thought I had to help her. It would be bad for the Pokémon League's reputation to be damaged if such unfounded allegations against her were to surface to the public."

His father said nothing in response, and Steven held his breath, hoping that the reasoning he provided would suffice. It was a valid and strong rationale, and surely, his father would understand.

"Fair enough," Mr Stone answered. "But that's not all to it, is it, Steven?"

"Eh?" Steven uttered in surprise, not knowing how to answer.

"I heard from Wallace that you seem to hold some affection for this girl," His father's tone suddenly had a hint of glee, and Steven immediately face-palmed himself. Of course, that incredibly helpful friend of his still exists.

"Dad, you should very well know that Wallace exaggerates his words," Steven asserted. "A lot."

"And I also very well know that Wallace's words always hold a certain degree of truth." Mr Stone countered. "So, is it true?"

"N-No," Steven coughed. "She's just an acquaintance."

"An acquaintance who you would risk your reputation for," Mr Stone hummed to himself. "What an acquaintance, wouldn't you say?"

"Dad!" Steven said indignantly.

"Now, now, I won't pry it out of you if you don't wish to share it." Mr Stone assured. "I just wanted to make sure that you know what you are doing."

"Yes, I do."

"Then that's good. Fortunately, the entire investigation ended without a hitch, and while it was a rather rash decision on your part, you did well at minimizing any sort of attention brought to yourself." Mr Stone said. "Even so, Steven, you must be aware of your position."

Steven pursed his lips and stiffly replied, "Yes."

His father sighed, and Steven braced himself for his father's lecture on responsibilities. He heard it one too many times, but he also knew that his father does this out of concern for him. As his heir and the Hoenn Champion, Joseph Stone worry for his son a whole lot. Being a public figure is no easy business, after all.

"But, if there's something you want, don't hesitate to pursue it."

Steven froze.

"Son," His father continued. "You have always been a well-behaved child, and I thank you for being so exceptional and disciplined. Perhaps it's the way your mother and I raised you, but you have also always been reserved in your emotions. You have never done things beyond what you're supposed to, and you are constantly considerate of others. Considerate towards your responsibilities and our family, but never towards yourself."

"Dad, I'm alright with that," Steven interjected. "It's what I'm supposed to do."

"Perhaps it is. But Steven, don't limit yourself on what you can do. I don't want you to tie yourself down and forget that you can choose your own life."

Steven was tongue-tied, not knowing how he should react to his father's words. His eyes flitted across to the night sky beyond the window, the stars twinkling with a knowing light.

"That's all I have to say to you, son." His father said, breaking Steven away from his thoughts. "I'll see you at the airport in four days?"

"Dad, you don't have to come out of your way-,"

"Nonsense!" Mr Stone snapped. "I don't think it's wrong for me to meet my son that I haven't seen for a month."

"Alright, alright," Steven chuckled. "Thank you, Dad."

Upon ending the call, Steven rose from his seat, with Metagross letting out a whirring sound. The pokémon gestured towards his other workspace, where a few rough stones laid in wait for him to polish. He had initially wanted to start working on them at the beginning of the week, but he had been too preoccupied at consolidating the evidence needed to prove Cynthia's innocence.

It was not too hard, to be honest, for all it took was for Steven to break into one of Team Galactic many hideouts found with the help of Looker and discover their funds that were earned through the black market, and their methods used to bomb the research facility at Sandgem Town, bringing to light that the Sinnoh League and Cynthia had absolutely no involvement with the criminal group. Though he hardly made a dent on Team Galactic itself, he had achieved what he had aimed for and thus he quietly retreated, all the while keeping his identity hidden.

He had also asked Looker to keep his involvement a secret, and the agent had agreed, although Steven was sceptical as to how well the agent could keep it a secret.

He started working his way through the remaining stones, but before he could properly ready his engine, his phone rang yet again. He stopped in his work and put down his chisel, dusting away the rock fragments on his hands and picked up his phone.

He widened his eyes in surprise.

"Hello," he greeted with a palpitating voice.

"S-Steven?"

Her voice came in like soft moonlight, her slight stutter indicating the vague hesitation she held. His throat seemed to become stuck, the vocal organ suddenly losing its function.

"Cynthia? Is something the matter?" he mustered after taking a deep breath.

She cleared her throat as if trying to ease herself.

"I just wanted to inform you that I have received the Water Stone, safe and sound," Cynthia replied. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," Steven said with a small smile.

"So...," Cynthia trailed off. "Are you still in Sinnoh?"

"Yes, but I'll be leaving in three days."

Cynthia said nothing in response and Steven could hear the crackling of a fire in the background.

"Then, would you be available tomorrow?"

Steven paused for a while and glanced at the rough stones blinking at him as if beckoning him to polish them up into shiny gems. Regardless, Steven tore his eyes away from them, telling himself that these can wait.

"I am, but weren't you busy?"

"Well...," She said. "Turns out everything got resolved sooner than expected, so I won't be having anything on my plate for the next three days."

Steven breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good,"

"I guess I'm trying to find some company at the moment," Cynthia said. "Would you like to meet up tomorrow?"

His heart skipped a beat, and while trying to hide the flower of happiness that had bloomed in his heart, Steven uttered, "Of course, is there somewhere you'll like to go?"

A pregnant pause came in between them, as he waited for her reply.

"Do libraries bore you?" She asked.


	9. Chapter 9

The scent of old parchment lingered around, and Steven sauntered past the multitude of shelves that never seemed to end. His eyes darted across and read the various titles written on the book spines, fascinated by the vast collection possessed by the library. The entire top floor of the Canalave library was wholly dedicated to the history and myths of Sinnoh, and the sheer number of research papers and stories about it stunned the Hoenn native. The place itself was spotlessly clean with an air of refinement and relaxation, in which Steven found to be pleasant.

Spotting an interesting title, Steven took it out and started flipping through the pages, his eyes scanning across the summary.

"So, what do you think?"

A whisper came, and Steven glanced sideways just to find no one within his sight. He then peered through the gap of the shelf, and there Cynthia was on the other side of the shelf, her one grey eye staring straight at him.

He grinned and whispered back, "It's a fine library, indeed."

Cynthia chuckled softly and pointed at the book he picked up, "And that book is quite a good read. I'd recommend it."

She then turned and walked to her left, a few books already in hand.

Steven, amused by her actions, smiled and snapped the book shut.

He thought it would be a great opportunity to spend some time learning more about the history of the region itself, and reading was also one of his favourite past-times, thus Steven had immediately accepted Cynthia's proposition to come to the Canalave Library. Plus, it was fair that he engaged in her hobbies after she had accompanied him on one of his excavation trips.

At first, Steven had been mildly worried that they would bring in a ruckus, considering that Cynthia is, after all, the Sinnoh Champion. But the librarian had not as much lifted her head from her work, and the sparse number of people within the first floor were all immersed in their own worlds. He remembered Cynthia boldly walking across the first and second floors while he was stealing a few nervous glances around, but absolutely no one took notice of them.

The third floor was entirely devoid of people, with empty chairs and tables arranged neatly at the central area while a huge number of shelves surrounded it like a fortress of sorts. Cynthia looked mighty accustomed to this, and before long, the two of them were comfortably engaged in finding books around the third floor.

When Steven was about to head to the central reading area, a light tap on his shoulder made him turn around just to see Cynthia pointing in a direction.

"There's a much better reading spot over there," She said with delight. He watched her enthusiastically navigating past the shelves, her long blonde hair gently swishing behind her back, while her Umbreon accessories gleamed under the bright light. Her light blue sleeveless blouse and casual black pants neatly complemented her golden locks, and as he followed behind her, he inadvertently thought of how well she fitted in the library. The warm glow of the lights and the atmosphere of this place of knowledge and words made her almost seem like a painting.

When he turned the corner, he was greeted by a cosy corner of the library, where a box-shaped light with dainty patterns illuminated the place warmly and a couch was placed against the wall. Even the wallpapers were different from the rest of the library, and there was a peculiar air to this area.

"This is my favourite spot," Cynthia said softly and sat down on the couch, looking at ease.

"I can see why," Steven admitted as he took his seat next to her. "It's like a whole new place."

They then started reading their respective materials, and while one may think that this was a boring way to spend time together, Steven found it to be endearing. Usually, he would read alone in his study, but reading together with a companion seemed to be rather nice, in his opinion.

The faint flipping of pages travelled back and forth between them, and Steven enjoyed this little background rhythm as he absorbed the contents of the book Cynthia had recommended.

He found himself gradually conscious of her breathing as minutes crept into hours. Sometimes it will be heavier, sometimes even, sometimes quicker than usual, and it subtlely reflected her mood as she read through the paperback in hand.

When she shut her book, she let out a controlled breath.

"How was it?" He asked.

"It was good," Cynthia said. "The author's ideas were quite unique, I must say. The proposition that Arceus and Giratina are two sides of the same coin is something heavily discussed upon, and her views made things more interesting. What about you?"

"This?" Steven lifted his book. "I quite like the author's style of writing. It's refreshing."

Cynthia nodded her head in agreement. "It's a great book for people to get started on Sinnoh's history."

"And this spot is perfect for reading," Steven remarked as he gazed at the ceiling lights. "I think I might have fallen in love."

"That's...," Cynthia cleared her throat. "Good to hear."

"Though it's rather strange at how empty it is," Steven said. "I expected people to be here."

"Well," Cynthia began. "It is a weekday after all. And there aren't many enthusiasts on Sinnoh's myths and legends."

"That's a downer,"

"I'm used to it."

"But I quite like it," Steven lightly commented. "With nobody but us in this quiet library, it kind of feels like we're all alone in the world."

"It does, doesn't it?" She slowly said. "Although it's moments like this that I feel lonely."

She leaned backwards, sinking into the cushion and sighed. Steven looked at her as she closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought.

"Me too," Steven said.

"Really?" Cynthia's eyes flashed open. "Why?"

"Because of the way I live, I suppose," Steven explained. "All these expectations and duties that I am obligated to fulfil. So much so, that my life seemed to about others, not me."

A small chuckle came from Cynthia, and she said with a bittersweet smile, "We really are quite similar, aren't we?"

_More than you think_, Steven wanted to say but chose not to.

They then chatted for another few minutes, but soon reverted back to immersing themselves into worlds, with Steven thoroughly enjoying his time reading up on all these stories on Sinnoh's history and myths. No wonder Cynthia was so fascinated with it.

When he finally looked up to check the time on the wall clock, he realised that nearly five hours had passed since they arrived here after an early lunch.

A good four hours remained before the library closes, and Steven still had the stamina left to finish up the stack of books he chose, and with that, he got ready to get started on the third book.

But before he could do so, something pressed onto his shoulders lightly, and surprised, he turned to his side. His heartbeat doubled when he saw Cynthia's head lying on his shoulder, her blonde hair cascading down his arm. Her breathing was soft and slow, yet moving like clockwork as her chest rose up and down gently.

He swallowed the gasp he almost exhaled and duly made sure to keep his shoulder as still as he could. She was sleeping soundly, and Steven did not want to wake her up. He knew of the ordeal she had been through recently, and it will do her good to catch some rest right now.

He flipped the page with his left hand awkwardly but continued his reading. However, he was even more conscious of her breathing than before, and now and then, he would steal glances at her sleeping face, in which he regarded to be rather adorable.

After some time, he felt a slight tremble from his shoulder and noticed that Cynthia was shuddering. Realising that she was cold, he gingerly took off his cardigan, careful to not make any sudden movements. After draping the warm clothing over her, he watched her shoulders relax and breathed a sigh of relief.

In this small corner of the Canalave Library, the two of them were all alone, and bit by bit, Steven was made aware of his feelings that were starting to bud.

His head slowly tilted to his right while the mild ticking of the clock in the background accentuated. Yet Steven's heartbeat was a few steps ahead of time and before he could control himself, his lips tenderly kissed her forehead.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment until Steven moved away from Cynthia abruptly, his cerulean eyes fixated onto her, half-alarmed and half-glad at what he just did.

As much as he wanted to deny Wallace's ideas, he can't help but admit that perhaps, he is attracted to her.

But he does not hold any right to be attracted to her.

Not when he is afraid to tell her the truth.

The time ticked, all in tune with the expanding and contracting of the heart.

"It would be nice if we could stay like this...," he muttered under his breath, all the while knowing that sooner or later, this strange relationship of theirs will one day come to an end.

* * *

Cynthia had never thought of a trip to a library to be heart-pounding. Not even once.

But sitting next to Steven and reading at the same time felt both surreal and relaxing, in ways she could not comprehend. His physical presence seemed to change the surrounding air of the library, and it felt foreign to Cynthia. She had been to the Canalave library more times than she could count but this felt different. Him being here next to her felt different.

Oddly, her reading pace seemed to be faster than normal, and time seemed to have slowed down by a notch. Somehow, Steven had blended into the space that had once belonged to her all the time and dyed it with his own colour. Cynthia was not used to this strange change, but she could not deny that she liked it.

It was not her first time reading in the same space as others, considering that she had read together with Lucian and Bertha in the League Building library more than a couple of times.

But it was the first time she felt both calm and nervous reading together with someone else.

Calm, because he was right beside her.

Nervous, because he was right beside her.

She did not know how to feel exactly about this situation. However, she repressed her emotions like she always did, and continued to flip through the pages. He did the same, and the soft flipping of pages continued between the two of them as a soothing lullaby.

The information seeped into her like water, and Cynthia was engrossed in her book despite the atmosphere between the two of them. When she finally read the last word, she exhaled and closed the book, a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction filling her chest.

"How was it?"

"It was good," Cynthia concluded. "The author's ideas were quite unique, I must say. The proposition that Arceus and Giratina are two sides of the same coin is something heavily discussed upon, and her views made things more interesting."

She then cast a glance towards her companion. "What about you?"

"This?" Steven said as he stared at the book's title. "I quite like the author's style of writing. It's refreshing."

Cynthia inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that her recommendation worked. "It's a great book for people to get started on Sinnoh's history."

"And this spot is perfect for reading," Steven replied, his eyes travelling upwards to the ceiling lights. "I think I might have fallen in love." He then said with that same smile.

At this moment, Cynthia was positive that if her rational mind did not hold in those reins, she would have blushed. His words were unexpected, and the insertion of the word "love" strummed her heartstrings.

"That's... good to hear," Cynthia finally said.

"Though it's rather strange at how empty it is, I expected people to be here."

"Well, it is a weekday after all. And there aren't many enthusiasts on Sinnoh's myths and legends." Cynthia explained.

"That's a downer,"

"I'm used to it." She smiled, though, in truth, she held mixed feelings about this. She regularly supported research on Sinnoh's myths and legends, but it was hard to deny that it was not a popular subject among the public.

"But I quite like it," Steven then said. "With nobody but us in this quiet library, it kind of feels like we're all alone in the world."

"It does, doesn't it?" She breathed while her heart thumped, rather too loudly.

She must not fall in love, and this was something she had told herself constantly ever since she became the Champion. She cannot let emotions sway her being, and love was out of the question. She had to maintain her mask.

Maintain it.

"Although it's moments like this that I feel lonely." She found herself saying, and she sank into the cushion, closing her eyes.

"Me too,"

Surprised by his reply, Cynthia blinked her eyes open. "Really? Why?"

"Because of the way I live, I suppose," Steven explained. "All these expectations and duties that I am obligated to fulfil. So much so, that my life seemed to about others, not me."

His words struck a chord within her and Cynthia let out a small chuckle. She may not know who Steven really is, but at the very least, she connected with him a great deal.

But she must not drag Steven into this life of hers. Not when he was someone who had a normal life.

"We really are quite similar, aren't we?" she said.

When she peeked into his eyes, she noticed a sadness behind them. A sadness that was entirely foreign to her.

Steven then smiled. But it was not the usual, sincere smile.

Instead, he smiled a smile that Cynthia knew all too well. After all, it was a smile she showed often.

A smile on a mask.

That very image lingered in her head as they drifted away into other topics and before long, they both returned to reading in silence, no words exchanged. Cynthia tried to shake off that image in her head and focus on her reading, but it did not work.

With that thought swimming at the back of her mind, Cynthia continued to turn the pages. Yet as time passed, a heavy feeling began to weigh down on her shoulders. Her eyelids were getting harder to stay open, and taking a deep breath, Cynthia decided to get a quick shut-eye and eased herself.

However, she felt her conscious sinking deeper into the darkness without warning, and sure enough, she was soon soundly asleep. It seemed like the whole ordeal with Team Galactic and the International Police had taken a larger toll on her body than she thought.

As she traversed through her inner dreamscape, she heard a small voice calling out to her. Curious, she reached her hand out, towards an old memory that seemed to have been hidden deep inside her.

_Her father's hand was gently caressing her head while she shyly peeked out from behind him. _

_"Come on," her father cooed as he gave a slight push from her back. She tottered out slowly, her eyes looking down on her feet, too timid to look up._

_A small hand reached out towards her, and surprised, Cynthia looked up, just to see him smiling warmly at her. She could not make out his appearance, and all she saw was him__ saying something. She could hear nothing, but she felt her nerves calming down, and carefully, she took his hand._

The scene faded away, and Cynthia's eyes opened sedately. Disoriented, she stayed still for ten long seconds, blinking her eyes more than a few times as she returned to reality. She felt something soft to the touch on her torso, and she glanced downwards, just to see a dark blue cardigan wrapped around her protectively. She then noticed that she was leaning against something, and lifting her head, she took a quick look to her left.

Her heart stopped as her mind registered that all throughout her nap, she had been lying on Steven's right shoulder without a care in the world. Mortified, she scooted over, her jaw opening and closing repeatedly while her face turned a deep crimson red.

She was about to cry out an apology until she noticed that Steven himself was sleeping, his head supported by his left hand. He remained unmoving as he took in quiet breaths in his slumber, and Cynthia covered her mouth in the nick of time, successfully avoiding waking him up.

Her eyes were fixated on his countenance, and she could not help but blush. Even though Cynthia had prohibited herself from holding any sort of feelings for the opposite gender, she cannot deny that Steven was a good-looking man.

Her thoughts were cut off when a light flashed. She looked down and noticed Steven's phone peeking out of his pocket. The screen was lit up, and evidently, someone was trying to call him. However, Steven must have kept his phone on silent mode, as the device made no sound, much less vibrate.

Thinking that she should at least inform him about his incoming call, Cynthia took a glance at the screen. The name "Wallace" was displayed on the screen, with the caller's profile picture blinking.

Cynthia paused, for she recognised that face.

"The Sootopolis... Gym Leader?" She murmured. While Cynthia was not greatly invested in Hoenn affairs, she remembered Wallace, as her sister was the Coordinator's ardent fan.

_How is he related to the Gym Leader?_ Cynthia wondered to herself and looked up at Steven. For him to have the contact of one of the strongest Water-type trainers and top Coordinators of Hoenn, who was he?

But before she could think of anything else, Steven lifted his head, his cerulean eyes opening. He breathed in deeply and stretched his neck. At the same time, the incoming call ended, with Steven's phone screen switching off.

"Gosh, I must have fallen asleep," he murmured. He then turned to his right and saw Cynthia at the far corner of the couch, looking absolutely stiff.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

"No, it's nothing!" She answered frantically and then hurriedly pointed out. "I think we need to go soon."

Steven looked up at the wall clock, his eyes widening in surprise, "You're right, it is rather late."

They both then left the reading corner and went off to return the books to their respective shelves, and Cynthia was quick to put her books back to where they were. Upon placing the last book back, her fingers tentatively grabbed her phone that was in her pocket. Swiping the screen, she then entered into the web search engine and her keyboard popped up once she clicked onto the search bar.

She hesitated, her thumb hovering above the screen as she tried to hold back her doubts.

_What if she was wrong?_

_But... What if she was right?_

With these thoughts in her head, she resolutely pressed down onto the first letter.

"Cynthia?"

She broke away from her trance and turned around, and there Steven was at the end of the aisle.

"Let's go," he said while smiling warmly at her. Cynthia felt a strange sense of déjà vu at this sight but when she made eye contact at his eyes, a sour sort of ache reverberated inside her while her grip on her phone tightened.

"Yes," she said and walked towards him.

* * *

**Finally, I am done with this string of events! My engine has been going nuts with all the ideas in my head since a week ago, hence the rather quick updates. I might go missing for a while as I need to cool down for a little, but fret not, I will return as soon as I can.**

**Meanwhile, allow me to lean back and relax as I end this chapter with yes, another cliffhanger.**

***sips coffee***


	10. Chapter 10

"May I have a battle with you?"

Steven's feet shuffled to a stop and a chill ran down his back, the sea winds slapping at his face, his hair running wild. For a moment blood had rushed to his ears, cancelling out the noise that surrounded him. Somewhere inside himself, he had hoped that he had misheard it.

"A battle?" He said as he turned his head around. Cynthia stood still, next to the edge of the port, the loud splashes of the waves mirroring the chaos going on in his chest.

"Yes," she said firmly.

"What's with the sudden invitation?" He asked, genuinely curious.

She hesitated.

And his heart stopped a little.

"I was wondering how strong you are as a trainer," she said. "Especially with a Metagross like that."

An unknown tension held between the two of them like a taut string. It threatens to break but never to relax, and Steven watched the unsettled fire in her grey eye. They were a mere distance away from the Canalave library, yet Steven felt as if the afternoon they had just spent together was now a faraway memory.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that this was perhaps, inevitable.

She could be purely curious, or suspicious, or a combination of both. Regardless, Steven knew that somehow, she had caught on.

"I," he began, his tongue desperately trying to find the words to say. "I don't mind."

An unreadable expression was written on her countenance and she stole a glance towards the moon.

"How about tomorrow?" She asked. It was not really a question, Steven realised. It had to be tomorrow.

"Tomorrow would be good." He said as he maintained his calm, not letting the turmoil going on inside of himself to show on his face.

"Tomorrow it is," Cynthia nodded, her finger lightly nocking the multitude of stray strands to the back of her ear. Her hair seemed to hold up well against the breeze, and it shone beneath the moonlight, just like it did the day he met her on Mt. Coronet.

As she turned around, Steven found it oddly ironic at the difference in his state of mind as compared to that day.

It was silly, even.

Upon deciding on the time and location of their bout, they bade their goodbyes, with Steven quickly making himself scarce by riding away on Metagross. The steel behemoth sensed the trepidation of his heart and hastened its flight speed and finally, he was out of her sight in a span of minutes.

His mind drifted away with the wind as they went eastwards, towards the Resort Area. _Sort out your thoughts_, he murmured to himself like a chant, but everything in his head was a poor, blundering mess.

Did he expect this to happen? He did. In fact, he had been mulling over it just earlier this day, and somehow it had come without much of a sound. It was all too sudden, her approaching him for a battle, clearly with an agenda in mind, clearly because he was being suspected.

Did he like this? Of course not. It was a sour, bitter feeling, being suspected. He felt more guilty, and he wanted to hide. He wanted to hide from the fact that he was being exposed. That the Steven known as the Hoenn Champion was about to be exposed.

He could tell her straight. That he had been lying to her. That she had been lying to him. That he is Steven Stone, Champion of Hoenn. That she is Cynthia Shirona, Champion of Sinnoh.

Lying and being lied to.

He could not help but wonder that perhaps, the strange bond that they had built up was composed of lies and liars.

Nothing had changed since the masquerade ball.

In the end, he still puts up a mask before her.

These little conclusions he made in his head persisted throughout the night, his sleep wrought away, his bed feeling lonesome. Gathering or sorting out his thoughts proved pathetically useless by the next morning, and Steven was knocked hard in the head that he was in no condition to leave his villa, much less partake in a battle he had no wish to embroil himself into.

With much reluctance and a heavier heart than usual, Steven pulled himself out of the villa, and he looked at Metagross with a contemplative gaze.

"I might be a little out of it today," he admitted to his partner, who snorted derisively, making it a point that it would not matter to its battle performance later.

"Do you want to win?" He asked Metagross. The steel-type returned with a sharp but knowing glare. _I do, but do you?_

Steven could not reply to his partner's thoughts. His hand that had been pressed against the cool surface of Metagross' body slid down, limp against his side as he looked down to his shoes.

He left the question unanswered and then wordlessly climbed onto his pokémon, ready to head towards the arranged location.

To battle Cynthia.

The location they were bound to meet was an off-beaten path from Route 214, with Lake Valor shimmering in blue from their airborne height, the grey autumn winds bleakly dying down as Metagross made its descent.

He spotted her standing there in the clearing, her gallant figure looking almost intimidating. Even in the middle of trees and quietness, she exuded an undeniable aura of strength, of sure victory. Exactly how a Champion would carry herself.

"You're early," he strikes up the conversation upon landing.

"So are you," she said with a small smile that Steven found it to be nameless. It has been the case since last night. He could not quite read her as well as he did.

"Where are we going?"

"A bit further in," she replied, her head tilting towards the direction. She paused her slight crease on her brow relaxing as quick as it was tightened. "It's a place I trained a lot in the past. It's perfect for a battle."

She looked at him, seemingly waiting for a response. But Steven said nothing. A quiet nod and perfunctory smile were enough in this situation where Steven knew that he was being tested.

They started walking in silence, with Cynthia leading in front, and Steven following her from behind. The same thoughts drowned his mind, the innominate tension that had prolonged since yesterday strumming in the background. Multiple knots tied themselves up in his chest, and he felt trouble breathing in this stale air between them.

He stared at her straightened, dignified back. Her thoughts were entirely closed off from him as she walked in a business-like manner. She felt like a foreign idea in itself, an impregnable veil surrounding her.

In this suffocating silence, Steven's fears were confirmed and his heart was shaken.

"A one-on-one."

Her voice broke him away from his thoughts, and she was already a distance away from him, pokéball in hand.

"Shall we begin?" she said, her voice distant and echoing in this glade where no one else was present.

Steven never expected that he would hate battling so much. At least, not until now.

"Yes," he said, with Metagross whirring an odd noise beside him.

Her Garchomp emerged in a flash of white light, the daunting creature roaring a battle cry that threatened to shake his nerves. Metagross returned a whirr equal in magnitude to Garchomp's cry, which helped settled Steven more than he thought.

In his state of confusion and reluctance, Metagross was the one allowing him to stay grounded to reality. He had to face the music. He had to.

He does not know how things will transpire from here, and he does not know how Cynthia would take the truth. Perhaps she herself had been wrangling with it since yesterday as he did, but he knows not of her intentions for having a battle, nor what she plans to do after it.

Perhaps a test of strength, as a Champion. Perhaps a test of heart, as a-

Garchomp flew in with a Dragon Claw, the move grazing Metagross with a loud screeching of metal, cutting the trainer away from his inner musings. Steven was badly distracted, and Metagross had quickly noticed how divided its trainer's attention was. The steel-type whirred loudly, pulling Steven back to the present, and he commanded Metagross to unleash a Flash Cannon.

The attack hit, both fortunately and unfortunately, and Garchomp stood its ground before retaliating with a Dragon Rush.

The battle was tougher than he had expected. In fact, his expectations were already high in the first place, thus Cynthia and Garchomp's strength was quite literally, off the charts. She was strong, on even ground against him. Perhaps, stronger.

Garchomp would dive underground and pop out with surprise attacks, with Cynthia expertly navigating her pokémon with excellent accuracy. Metagross would parry attacks, and Steven, seasoned by the hundreds of battles that were the bulk of his career, would command counter-attacks that proved effective most of the time. The battle dragged on, neither pokémon willing to back down.

Time felt so incredibly slow to him, which was already bizarre by itself. Battles were supposed to be fast, not agonizingly ponderous.

Steven back-stepped slightly, his heel scraping against the earth. The hesitation was coming back in, and when he met her one grey eye, he felt his voice getting stuck somewhere between vacuum and air.

The fiery silver glint in her eye was straightforward, aimed entirely towards her Garchomp, at victory. All at once, he felt all sorts of motivation die down inside him. He felt unworthy. Unworthy of this strength that she was displaying. Not when she was so direct in her goals, not when he was here wallowing in his own fears.

She was a stranger. He finally understood. They were neither acquaintances nor friends.

They were simply, strangers.

Strangers that were full of deceit and self-preservation.

Garchomp dealt a clean hit on Metagross, who jerked towards the corner, whirring with pain and determination. Steven grappled with reality, his commands coming out hoarsely, his usual battling pace with Metagross already out of sync.

_I don't want to win_. He said to himself. That single thought hurts, yet comforts him. He felt so out of place with the battle, so out of place when put next to her.

He realised why he was attracted to her. She possessed a strength he lacked, a ferocity he wanted. She was all a Champion could be, and he was-

"Steven Stone!"

Being called with his full name with such a furious voice caught him off-guard. He looked straight ahead, at her blonde hair, her usual Champion attire, her clenched fists, her grey eye that held an exasperated, frustrated rage. It struck him that she had never intended to fight him as Cynthia, to fight him as Steven.

But to fight him as Champion to Champion.

"Fight me properly!"

He could not say anything in response. This time, he was silent not because the situation warranted it. He was silent because he was so incredibly afraid. He could feel his helplessness, his insecurities, his loneliness, his hesitation, his feelings, all churned and twisted together, sucked dry and released into every fibre of his being.

And he was afraid of Cynthia. Afraid of how she could so easily expose his weaknesses with just calling out his name, his very identity.

Garchomp breathed heavily, while Metagross, who had obviously taken more damage than its opponent, wobbled in midair, teetering on the edge of fatigue and consciousness.

He made no sound, no movements, as she directed an angry glare at him. The tension was breaking from the middle, and he could hear it snap the moment her expression fell.

"Let's stop this," she murmured. Garchomp glanced at its trainer, a dejected look in its eyes. "There's no point in continuing this."

Cynthia returned her Garchomp back to its pokéball, a silent frustration seeping out from her as she looked up at Steven. She walked towards him briskly, and Steven was rooted to the ground while she stood a few feet away from him, no longer coming closer.

"Here," she said as she tossed him a Full Restore. "It's the least I could do after you listened to my selfish request."

He caught the bottle, staring at it for an inordinate amount of time. When he finally looked up, she was already walking away, and he felt something crumble away inside of him.

"Cynthia...!"

She stopped in her tracks, and Steven felt the blood rushing to his head, his heart thumping and thumping while he forced himself to say something. _Anything._

"I'm sorry," he finally mustered. An apology that encompassed a lot of wrongs, with no rights.

She spun around, eyes strangely bright, lips creased into a conflicted line.

"What for?" Her voice was different. Interrogative and breaking at the seams, it was something he had never heard from her. Something so painfully foreign.

"For... lying to you." He breathed, almost choking. "For hiding my identity."

A chill crept through his skin, his lungs struggling to expand and contract to his will.

"I did the same," she then replied. "I am equally guilty as you are." A tense pause broke out, and her mouth opened and closed. "When?"

"Before the outing." He answered, feeling awfully small. Her one grey eye widened, and Steven could see the hurt in her eyes growing.

And he hated it.

The least he wanted to do, was to hurt her.

"I see," she said, her voice shaking. "We're really similar, aren't we."

It was not a question, and Steven could not reply a word. It was a statement. A fact. A painfully lonely fact.

"I-,"

"I'm sorry," she said it this time, ready to turn and leave. But he took quick steps forward, his hand wrapped around her wrist. He did not know why he did it, but the thought of the memories they had together for the past month, just buried under the ground just like that, tore him apart.

Even if they had been strangers for the past month.

Even if his feelings for her masked his feelings of weakness.

"Give me some time. Alone," she croaked without turning back. "_Please_,"

It was a desperate plea, a plea for herself, a plea to him, and Steven's grip went loose. She went, not a glance back, not a single ounce of hesitation as she called out her Braviary, the hurt and lonely back disappearing in a matter of seconds.


	11. Chapter 11

Cynthia loved the colour black.

Not because it was sleek and elegant, but because it is powerful and so good at hiding the things she did not want people to know. It envelops, engulfs and submerges her fragile self from the world around her. And she enjoyed the protection she got from it. It made her feel a little bit safer and prevent her from getting swept away by the raging currents of the real world. Yet, she knew it was a superficial colour. Because black was just a muddle of every other colour, and it was in fact, ugly.

And currently, she was staring up into the deep dark hue of the night sky, the utter inky darkness without a hint of starlight looking bleak and helpless. She let the wind caress her face, her light sleeping robes fluttering behind her. Waves of melancholy rippled in her heart as she searched the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tiniest of stars, but there was nothing. The black of the night was enveloping, engulfing and drowning.

She loved and hated the colour black.

Because it contrasted the vulnerability within her timid heart.

So much that it hurts.

Taking a deep, forlorn breath, Cynthia turned around and headed back into the warm comforts of her bedroom, and fell straight into the bed upon closing the balcony doors. The smell of stale bed sheets greeted her and she made a mental note to herself that she had to change them soon. She flipped herself over, her eyes trailing upwards, onto the ceiling. Her eyes were zoned out and staring blankly at the muted colours around her for a good long while before it finally flitted over to the bedside table.

A quiet, cerulean glow caught her attention, her eyes widening. She sat up abruptly, her hand reaching out towards it. It was warm yet cold to the touch, bright yet withdrawn in its light, and Cynthia was lost.

_"Steven Stone!"_

Her cupped hands tightened over the stone, and she hunched over, conflicted as _his_ voice resounded in her ears.

_"I'm sorry... for lying to you."_

The day's events rewound itself in her head without her consent, and she gritted her teeth, a small tear leaking out of her eye.

She lied to him.

He lied to her.

These two simple yet cruel facts wrapped themselves around her. It penetrated the black veil and held onto the small heart that she had always been trying to protect. Most of all, she could not wrap her head around the fact that the man who she held these feelings for, was none other than Steven Stone. The Hoenn Champion and heir to the Devon Corporation. And the man who dyed her black with his calming blue.

She felt incredibly conflicted by this revelation. There was a mix of relief, a mix of hurt, a mix of everything in between.

Hurt, because she was lied to.

Hurt, because she lied to him.

Yet relieved, because she realized that the many restrictions that she thought barred her from a relationship with him was all of a sudden, gone. She did not know why she thought that, but perhaps, it was just a testament to her wanting him.

_Wanting him?_

At the thought of this, she fell onto her back immediately, one arm over her face to hide from her embarrassment. She was horrified at her thoughts and almost disgusted by it.

After an agonizing minute had passed, Cynthia attempted to reorganize her thoughts, but the flurry of emotions stuck to her like a leech.

She liked Steven. Yet the Steven she liked was also Steven Stone.

A man who she did not know.

Did he mask himself from her, just as she did?

"Say, Steven," She muttered softly. "Was it all a masquerade all along?"

* * *

"You look... dead."

Steven turned to look at Wallace, who was sitting to his right in the passenger seat. The dreary melody of the rain battering at the windows, while the car radio buzzed a rock and roll tune that hammered his head. The driver, on the other hand, was bobbing his head side to side offbeat to the music, and Steven did not know what to make out of this strange atmosphere. They were on their way back from the Airport to Ever Grande City, after Wallace and his parents had come down personally to welcome him home. They then split ways with his parents, for the end of a break meant work.

"Really?" He mumbled monotonously.

"Well, yeah." Wallace nodded. "As evident by your unenthusiastic response."

"When was I enthusiastic when I'm with you?" Steven commented lightly.

"Alright, I see that you're alive enough to crack a joke," Wallace said as he rolled his eyes. "But on a serious note, what happened in Sinnoh? You look worse than you did _before _you went there to supposedly take a break."

Steven said nothing in response and merely turned his head away as a sigh escaped his lips.

"What is it?" Wallace probed on, but Steven stayed silent. Wallace certainly did not like that his only companions here were the endless rain, a noisy tune and a bobble-head for a driver. Unable to handle this sad loneliness any longer, Wallace nudged Steven with an indignant elbow.

"Is it Cynthia?" He asked in a suppressed whisper. Steven still said nothing, but the slight jerk in his shoulders was enough of an answer. Despite how annoying Wallace could get, at this moment, he knew better than to tease his friend about it. Relaxing back into his seat, Wallace frowned and asked, "What happened?"

A long silence ensued, and soon Wallace sunk into his seat, on the verge on giving up on getting anything else out of Steven's mouth.

"I did something wrong."

The Sootopolis Gym Leader took a double-take on his friend, who had a never before seen expression of guilt on his face. To be frank, it frightened Wallace, and the man was fearful of what Steven had done to make himself look so upset.

"I... met her on Mt. Coronet and at that time, I did not know she was the Sinnoh Champion," Steven said slowly.

"You weren't kidding when you said you did not know how she looked like," Wallace uttered with surprise.

"... Yes," Steven replied. "And because of this, I lied and hid my identity from her."

"Hang on, she did not know you're the Hoenn Champion either?"

"Yes," He sighed. "Funny, isn't it?"

"I guess I can't blame either of you. Hoenn and Sinnoh are oceans apart from each other." Wallace sighed. "And?"

"She found out about it." Steven continued "Then we parted without any proper explanation to each other."

"Oh my," Wallace gasped. "Are the two of you on bad terms now?"

"No!" Steven raised his voice before he hurriedly lowered it down. "We're not on bad terms. At least, I hope we're not."

"You hope you're not?"

"Well, yes, because I do like her." Steven sighed. "I should have come clean right from the start."

Wallace watched his friend let out yet another deep, melancholic sigh and at the sight of this, the Gym Leader was ready to send him words of comfort like what a normal friend should. But it then struck him, that Steven had said something ground-breaking, earth-shattering and unbelievable. It did not take long for Wallace to finally register what the young bachelor had said in the spur of the moment.

"You like her!?" Wallace yelled, euphoric.

His voice was loud, loud enough for the taxi driver to stop bobbing his head side to side. Steven clapped a hand over the loudmouth's mouth, looking irritated and it was until the bobbing resumed did he finally allowed Wallace to breathe.

"Thanks," Steven grunted.

"Sorry," Wallace muttered sheepishly. "I was a little overexcited."

"As always," Steven sighed.

"So," Wallace inched closer to his friend, an annoying, smiling face beaming at him. "So, you like her. You like her, don't you?"

"Gosh, Wallace, move out of my face." Steven cried out, and he shoved Wallace back to his spot.

"Come on, don't be shy," Wallace urged.

"Stop it,"

"Come on, just say it again."

"For what?"

"Confirmation." Wallace grinned from ear to ear, and Steven let out a groan of agony.

"Yes," Steven finally breathed out. "I like Cynthia."

Wallace squeezed into a bundle of joy and was ready to squeal out loud, but a sharp jerk startled both men into silence. The taxi door then swung open, signalling the end of their journey back home. Steven hurriedly paid the driver and did not waste a second to distance himself from the blubbering mess that was Wallace. Steven fished out his luggage and ran up the stairs, while Wallace was trailing behind him while chanting, " Congratulations, it's a celebration."

But he was not sure whether it should be a celebration, when they had said nothing to each other since the battle.

Even so, Steven was determined to make things right.

Because he likes her.

* * *

**A rather short chapter again. Apologies for the late update as I am busy with university and the upcoming final exams. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for all the warm and really nice reviews, I really appreciate it!**


	12. Chapter 12

By mid-April, Steven was positive that he did not just look dead. He was dead.

Putting off work for a month was not recommended, he realized. It simply translated to an office flooded with papers and a flustered secretary that was literally buried in them. And it was to his dismay that he had to finish all of them within a single week in order to meet all the deadlines. Even the usually optimistic Wallace had an uncharacteristic look of horror and sympathy when they first entered his office. The Elite Four themselves had been scurrying around to keep up with the workflow, and Steven was amazed that they held on for so long.

It turns out, that the Hoenn League Championships was finally confirmed to be held on the end of the year, thus there was no wonder the entire League building was bustling with activity, especially since they were still at the preparation stages. And it too meant that he has to remain within his office more frequently than ever and sign more papers than he could ever fathom.

Steven pride himself to have a good work ethic. He had been trained to have a good work ethic since young by his father. After all, he would take the helm of the Devon Corporation in the future and lacking a good work ethic would be devastating to himself. As such, he possessed the stamina and concentration to deal with all this work that was presented to him. With an incredible level of focus, Steven managed to breeze through all the proposals and papers within five days.

Finally setting his pen down, he turned to his trusty secretary expectantly.

"Are we, finally done?" He asked.

"Ah," His secretary adjusted her glasses and glanced at the clock. "Yes,"

Steven would have let out a triumphant yell and threw his pen onto the ground then and there, but it would be rude to commit such unceremonious actions in the presence of his secretary, thus the Champion held back and stoically nodded his head in reply.

"What is my schedule for the next two days?" he then inquired.

"None, sir," She said after scrutinizing her phone screen. "There is no urgent work that needs to be addressed over the weekend."

Steven clenched his fist in a silent victory.

"What about next week?"

"There is a general meeting with the Elite Four on Monday, followed by a sponsorship meeting with Slateport Fishery and Greater Mauville Holdings on Tuesday. Proposals on program layout for the Championships will start coming in on Wednesday, thus Thursday to Sunday is mainly meetings with the management and event planning team on the program layout."

"No breaks, huh," Steven sighed.

"I'm afraid so,"

"Are there any pressing matters or events coming up? Like inauguration ceremonies or talks?" Steven asked again as he sipped his coffee slowly.

"Well, there is a Champion Gathering next month."

Steven immediately choked on his drink and he started coughing painfully. The secretary calmly adjusted her glasses, curious at the Champion's unexpected blunder.

"Right," he nodded his head. "Next month,"

"The regions that will partake in this gathering includes Hoenn, Unova, Kalos, Galar," His secretary paused for a while before she added. "Sinnoh is also confirmed to attend."

Steven's heart dropped the moment he heard the word "Sinnoh" and the memory of her pained look and trembling hands came back to him.

"Kanto and Johto are amid their Championships so they will not be joining." His secretary continued, unaware of the conflicted expression the Hoenn Champion wore on his face.

"I see," Steven took a deep breath. "When do I depart?"

"Second last day of the month," She answered. "You can afford to take a break while you're there since you will be spending three days in Unova."

_Three days._

"We'll see about that,"

After his secretary left his office, Steven started slowly packing his stuff into his briefcase, occasionally pausing in the middle of it. His mind was already off to somewhere else, to someone.

Clasping the briefcase close, Steven took in an uncharacteristically deep breath. His hands were gripping onto his briefcase and his attention drifted off yet again.

To someone, somewhere.

* * *

Cynthia took a deep breath. The tight, scrunched up ball of feelings inside her unraveled itself, just a little. She breathed again, her grip on her fountain pen rigid as she looked up towards her surroundings.

The Champion's Office was a fairly spacious room, with an opulent mahogany wooden table at the far end, framed by large glass panes that permitted natural light to cross, illuminating the space with a sort of dignified glow. The table's surface was neat, with two neat stacks of official documents and it spoke of professionalism and authority. The shelves occupied the opposite walls while a single vase sat at the coffee table and two velvet couches faced each other. It had the classic setting of a formal study, but it held an atmosphere unlike any other.

It was where Cynthia was made aware of the boon and banes that came along with being the Champion. Dignity, authority, respect. Rules, expectations, responsibilities.

She held it in stride. Constantly bearing the image to the best of her ability as she slaved away in the room, with signatures, with important calls, with work. She did not mind this in the least. She adored Sinnoh. From its people, its pokémon, its nature, to its history. But it has its flaws. Inequalities between the trainer ranks, tensions between the rich and poor, criminal activities that sabotaged the lifestyle of the common person. If it meant for her beloved Sinnoh to be a happier place, she was willing to sacrifice herself for it.

Cynthia was aware of her perfectionist ways. It proved to be an asset and a toll on herself. But she keeps to it. It was what kept her sanity in the whirlwind of fame and fortune, of being a Champion.

But Steven had broken all that.

It was a simple waltz, a simple masquerade ball where she found him to be a kindred spirit. He was kind and had her sense of humor, and though quiet at times, she had found his presence calming.

At the very least, she had been half in love with him. A small crush, that would have, with time, bloomed into true affection and desire.

But he was Steven Stone.

As she sat in the armchair- her armchair, which represented nearly everything she had to carry, she felt a pang in a chest that broke something inside her.

She had no reason to get so upset towards him. If anything, he should be upset with her as well. She had hidden behind a mask of her own, lying to him again and again. But he did not as much shout at her nor demand an explanation; all Steven did, was an apology, which made Cynthia all the more confounded by all of this.

She felt so utterly vulnerable from this string of events, that she hates herself. She had been deceitful, selfish, and even played the victim. But she was not a victim. She instigated this. Steven was the victim. He should not have to say sorry.

She was a Champion and she could act the part, no problem. Detaching herself from emotions to focus on her work was something she had unhealthily made a habit of. And all these emotions and thoughts were a sore reminder that she was after all, only human.

She had to talk to him, apologize and ask for his forgiveness. Start anew, as-

As what?

Colleagues? Friends? Acquaintances?

She did not know. She knew Steven, but not Steven Stone. So who was she trying to reconcile with? Was she trying to mend their relationship just for the sake of self-preservation, again?

As she wrangled with her thoughts, the door to the Champion's office opened slowly, a red afro peeking in.

"Oh, hey, Cynthia!"

Cynthia snapped her head upwards. "Flint?"

Flint ambled in, one hand in his pocket, the other giving a genial wave. His loud, curly red hair, bright yellow shirt contrasted greatly against the office's interior. His confident energy instantly changed the somber vibe of her working quarters.

"Is something the matter?" Cynthia asked.

"Uh," Flint said as a frown sat on his brow. "I suppose so?"

"Team Galactic again?" Cynthia said, her eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Yes ," Flint nodded. "A friend of mine told me that he sighted a suspicious group lurking around on Iron Island. But he wasn't sure if they are Galactic grunts, so he invited me to go over and take a look."

"What did you find?"

"Not much, other than the fact that they were indeed from Team Galactic," Flint replied with a shake of the head. "We tracked them to a dead-end within one of the caves. But we found some unown letters on the walls."

"Unown?" Cynthia's eyes widened and Flint grinned in response.

"Yes, that's where you come in, Champion." The Elite beamed, his hand taking out a piece of paper from his pocket. He laid it on the table, where ancient characters were scribbled on it. Cynthia leaned forward, her eyes scanning through the characters with fascination. Well-versed in the Unown language, Cynthia read the characters without much of a problem. Suddenly, she froze, her eyes fixated on nine letters.

"Flint, you said you tracked the grunts to that particular dead end, right?"

"Uh, oh, yes." Flint nodded.

"This is bad," Cynthia murmured. "They might have already got to it."

"Got to what?"

Cynthia slammed an angry fist onto her table and Flint stiffened, surprised.

"Registeel," She said, her finger tracing the letters again and again. "That dead end, it's most likely to be a secret entrance."

"Uh-oh," Flint's jaw dropped as Cynthia's words sank in. "Now what?"

Cynthia stood up, her hands reaching into the drawers. She took out her pokéballs, and Flint's face paled at the sight of it.

"We go there," Cynthia said as she shot him a determined look. "Right now."


	13. Chapter 13

As Cynthia got off the boat, her heels crunched against the red soil and she took in a deep breath. She was admittedly tired from the boat ride, considering that she has never been that good with boats. The surrounding air had a metallic smell to it, owing to the traces of iron that lingered on the island. She was greeted by a dry, maroon landscape of steep slopes and man-made steps that led up towards the old mines and alongside her was Flint, who did not look well after dealing with sea-sickness.

"So, Flint," Cynthia turned around and asked. "Where is this friend of yours?"

The Elite held onto the fence, his blue face contrasted hilariously against his red hair. Stumbling and then regaining his balance, he answered groggily, "I contacted him a while back, he should be here soon-"

Flint stopped short, his gaze traveling upwards and his eyes lit up instantly. Grinning, he cocked his head in that direction.

"Aha! There he is,"

Cynthia spun around and sure enough, a man was descending the stairs. He wore a blue suit with black lapels coupled with black pants and a black turtleneck, his gold necklace glinting from under the sunlight as he walked down. He wore a hat of the same shade of blue as his coat, the accessory hiding half of his countenance. Beneath the shade of his hat was a gaze that Cynthia regarded to be confident and purposeful.

As he approached them, he paused for a while and stared at Cynthia for a few seconds. She froze and blinked, wondering if there was something on her face. Realizing that he had been staring, the man broke out of his reverie and walked forward.

Taking off his hat, he placed it against his chest, while his other arm was outstretched. Cynthia was stunned for a short moment, surprised to see a rather chiseled face beneath the accessory.

"Welcome to Iron Island, Ms. Cynthia," He said, his voice deeper than she expected. "I'm Riley."

Smiling, she shook his hand firmly. "Thank you for taking the time to guide us,"

"You're welcome," he said after Cynthia released her grip. Riley's gaze then shifted to Flint, who grinned at him teasingly for reasons Cynthia did not know. Riley ignored the Elite's antics and merely gestured towards the stairs.

"Shall we?"

The man soon led them into the caves, with Flint calling out his Infernape to light the way with its fire. The interior was dim but sufficient enough for them to see a good distance away. Riley walked on, completely in tune with the surroundings, the man used to the cave layout as he easily navigated them through narrow paths and treacherous corners.

"Say, Riley, how long have you been here?" Cynthia asked, curious.

"How long?" The man pondered on the question for some time. "About eight months, I suppose."

"Eight months?" Cynthia exclaimed, impressed. "You seem like you've been here for a very long time."

"He has a knack for these kinds of things," Flint chirped. "Riley's always been a genius at navigation, especially around caves."

"No, no," Riley hurriedly said. "I just practiced."

"Sure," Flint coughed. "You managed to memorize the entire layout of the mines in just ten days. I'd call that practice."

"Flint," Riley said as he shot the Elite a look. Flint grinned, while Infernape's eyes went half-lidded in disapproval.

"See, even Infernape agrees with me," Flint chuckled.

"Alright, alright," Riley sighed. Cynthia mused as they bantered with each other, Flint throwing out jokes every few steps they took while Riley would retort back to the Elite's silly humor. Spectating this little scene, Cynthia felt a tad bit jealous.

"The two of you get along well," she remarked, smiling.

"I have no choice," Riley sighed. "If I can't handle Flint, Volkner will exhaust himself."

"That's mighty rude of you," Flint scowled.

"Thank you," Riley smirked. Flint scowled even harder and Cynthia suppressed a chuckle.

"It's a very different Flint I'm seeing here today," Cynthia then said and Riley raised an eyebrow.

"How is he usually?" The man asked, his eyes showing much interest in her comment.

"Hang on, don't say it," Flint yelped as his eyes switched back and forth between Cynthia and Riley. "I don't want to hear it."

"Well, he's-"

"No, Champion, don't say it!" Flint cried out in horror.

"Serious about his job and does his work well," Cynthia continued, ignoring Flint's cries. Riley immediately hollered in laughter and he bent over, the man laughing for a considerable amount of time.

"See, I knew you would laugh about it!" Flint said as he buried his head into his arms.

"I would love to see a serious Flint," Riley said, looking delighted. "He's always obnoxious when he's with me and Volkner."

"Oh, yes," Cynthia chuckled, when the image of Flint sitting at his desk filling the paperwork diligently, his bright red afro looking out of place, appeared in her head. "It's quite a spectacle."

"No! Stop!" Flint yelled.

"Now I'm doubly curious," Riley said as he eyed Flint with a look.

"Don't you dare come visit me during work," Flint narrowed his eyes.

"I might," Riley said as he winked in reply and Flint groaned.

After they walked for another good fifteen minutes, they turned around the corner into a dead end. Cynthia's eyes widened the moment she spotted the writing on the wall, her excitement and fear spiking in levels, goosebumps running down her skin.

"Here we are," Riley announced.

She stepped forward, her fingers reaching out as she carefully traced the letters. Gulping nervously, she then slowly read out the writing in the ancient Unown language.

"_Here lies the titan of steel, Registeel,_" She spoke, while Riley stared at her curiously, surprised that she was speaking the ancient tongue. "_Those who wish to tame it,"_

She paused, her blood chilled.

"_Seek out Regigigas,_"

A palpitating silence fell, and Flint tensed up, his eyes darting around the area. Infernape growled and Cynthia looked around, a bad feeling dawning upon her. Was it because she spoke the Unown language? Or was it something else?

Suddenly, a slow clapping came. The clapping echoed within the caves, which only served to send chills down Cynthia's spine. The applause approached and soon, a man appeared around the corner.

"The ancient tongue," The man said, "I'm amazed there are people who can speak it-"

His words were cut short as he made eye-contact with Cynthia, who felt as if her feet were instantly rooted to the ground when she met his dark, sullen eyes. He had a head of light blue hair that was streaked with grey and was wearing a black outfit with a grey vest that had a letter insignia at the side.

_Team Galactic._

Cynthia immediately called out her Garchomp, who snarled at the man before them, hostile and ready for battle. Riley, without her noticing, had already let out his Lucario, the pokemon in a fighting stance.

"What a pleasant surprise, Sinnoh Champion," the man smiled eerily. "I wouldn't have expected you to be well-versed in ancient languages."

"And who might you be?" She said, her fists clenching.

"Never mind who I am," the man chuckled. "I'm surprised that you're still a Champion."

"What are you implying?" She said, her temples throbbing.

"Well, I had expected you to resign due to all those accusations against you, Sinnoh Champion," he said evenly. "Turns out, you had more backbone than I thought. To think that you would employ that man's help."

"What are you talking about?" Cynthia said. The man blinked, confusion written across his face for a split second.

"Why, if that man never came and raid our supply warehouse to gather that precious evidence to prove your innocence, the one standing before me would not be you, Champion."

Cynthia froze, suddenly remembering her conversation with Looker. _That man? Who?_

"Cynthia, you don't have to talk to him," Flint shouted, while Infernape's flames waved warily. "If all you're doing is spouting nonsense, I suggest that you leave."

Yet, curiosity got the better of Cynthia.

"Who?" She blurted out. Flint turned his attention to the Champion, confused by her actions.

"Ah," The man exclaimed. "You didn't know?"

"Who was it?"

"Cynthia?" Riley called out, perturbed. The suspicious man then suddenly laughed out loud, his eyes filled with amusement and a dark hatred that Cynthia was almost afraid of. She watched him closely as his laughter reduced to a soft chuckle, his sullen eyes glaring straight at her.

"Thanks to him, Team Galactic took quite the beating. He's a fearsome opponent indeed," The man answered. "That Steven Stone."

Cynthia felt something inside her blooming, her mind going blank.

_Steven._

"Steven Stone?" Flint widened his eyes. "Why would the Hoenn Champion be in Sinnoh?"

"That's a question for you to answer, Sinnoh Champion," the man gestured towards Cynthia, causing Flint to turn his attention onto her. Riley glanced at her intently but Cynthia's throat was dry.

"I... don't know," she murmured.

"So you did not know," The man chuckled. "Well, it doesn't matter."

He fished out a pokeball and he pressed the button on the capsule, in which a Houndoom emerged. It barked menacingly at the trio, clearly challenging all of them to a battle.

"Tell me what was written there, Champion," The man threatened. "Otherwise, I can't guarantee you can leave here safe and sound."

Cynthia's shoulders tensed. "I refuse,"

"Is that so?" The man said monotonously. He waved a hand, signaling the Houndoom to face upwards. Sensing the impending danger, Flint and his Infernape pounced at the man. Garchomp and Lucario both leaped forward, the two pokemon intent on stopping the enemy.

"I won't let you!"

Yet, it was too late, as Houndoom unleashed consecutive Shadow Balls towards the cave's ceiling. Riley shouted, alarmed as the ceiling crumbled, rocks tumbling down. Cynthia was frozen to the ground, unable to react in time as a rock came hurtling at her.

"Look out!"

Riley jumped out, and he grabbed her, pulling her out of danger's way. She gasped as her vision was increasingly blocked by the rocks and she watched in horror as Garchomp spun around and let out a cry of horror, while Infernape tackled Houndoom, Lucario attacking the enemy, Flint screaming her name and Riley's.

Thoughts of death filled her as her tongue went tied. She could not scream nor move as she watched her surroundings turn black.

Time stood still as she felt someone's arms around her protectively and her one grey eye went saucer-wide as she felt Riley hugging her, blocking her from the multitude of rocks falling onto them.

The last thing she heard was his whisper.

"I'll protect you,"

* * *

It was raining in Ever Grande City.

The window outside his office was a pure white, the downpour washing the scenery away, his office having a strange chill to it. Meanwhile, the Hoenn Champion was sitting in his seat, as he carefully surveyed the name on his phone screen.

After hesitating for so long, he was ready.

Or he thinks he is.

His finger hovered across the call button but it was never sure. He wondered how would she react if he were to suddenly call now. Was now a good time? Or never?

He shook his head, angry at his lack of conviction. He swore to make things right, didn't he?

With that, he pressed the call button down firmly.

The dial tone started ringing, and Steven held his breath as he waited. The tune continued on and on and his heart thumped faster and faster as time stretched itself.

The tune continued on.

It continued.

Continued.

And ended.

His heart dropped, his fingers growing cold. He tried again.

The tune played.

And continued on.

Continued.

He tried again.

Yet as if mocking him, the dial tone continued obnoxiously before it would end abruptly, each failed call causing his spirit to tumble a few notches.

He stopped.

Maybe... maybe she was busy.

Or maybe...,

Steven stared at the screen blankly before his arm dropped in defeat.

"Maybe...," he whispered to himself as he glanced at the white noise outside his window.


	14. Chapter 14

Cynthia blearily opened her eyes, just to be greeted by darkness and the musty smell of soil and iron. She recollected her thoughts and tried to make sense what had just happened. The scene of mud and rock hurtling towards her flashed across, death greeting her right in the face. Her heartbeat quickened, anxiety coursing through her body and in an effort to calm herself down, Cynthia evened out her breathing. She then pinched her arm, hard enough for her to wince from the pain. Thank Arceus, she was still alive.

"Cynthia?" A voice said. It was incredibly close-by, and Cynthia's breath hitched.

"Riley?"

A sigh of relief followed. "Looks like we're trapped here."

"So it seems," she said while she tried to search for Riley's figure.

"Are you alright?" Riley asked, his voice echoing within the small space. She felt his breath incredibly close to her and she looked up.

"Um, yes!" Cynthia squeaked when she realized that Riley's torso was right above her in an almost protective stance. His back was plastered against the wall, his arms awkwardly pressed on the wall either side of her head. She could not quite see him in the darkness, but Cynthia was aware that they were somewhat too close for comfort. His chin was touching against her forehead, his chest mere inches away.

"Sorry," Riley grunted. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, it's alright," Cynthia hurriedly whispered. "It's must be really uncomfortable for you in that position."

"I can take it," Riley said. "I'm just glad that you're unhurt."

Cynthia's mind went blank for a split second before she finally mustered, "Thank you,"

Silence dropped within the small space and Cynthia held her breath as she shrunk her shoulders in. Neither said anything and the silence stayed while Cynthia shut her eyes tight, worry seeping into her.

What if, they don't make it out of here?

It's not as if she did not trust Flint. In fact, she trusted her friend and colleague a great deal. Knowing the Elite, he would swiftly seek for help and rescue them with whatever he had at his disposal. Despite how reckless he is sometimes, Flint is dependable at the most crucial of moments.

But, just what if?

The image of Steven emerged in her head and she felt her cheeks turn hot. Yet instantly, her shoulders dropped even more.

What if, they never resolved the matter?

What if, she never saw him again?

Immersed in such thoughts, Cynthia hunched over, feeling increasingly small and helpless, until Riley suddenly broke the silence.

"We might need to stay like this for a couple of hours," Riley sighed. "Unless Flint lights his own butt on fire."

At Riley's light joke, Cynthia chuckled. "Or his hair,"

"Either works," Riley grinned.

The both of them broke out into laughter, lifting the mood considerably.

"Feeling better?"

"Pardon?" Cynthia glanced up, just to be greeted by the outline of Riley's face.

"It's just," Riley said. "You felt rather melancholic just now. Too much thoughts?"

"Oh," Cynthia exclaimed. "How did you know?"

"I could sense the mood around you." Riley said in reply. "Dull and worrisome, I must say."

Cynthia smiled. "Well, thank you for cheering me up."

"No problem," Riley answered candidly. "Staying optimistic in such a situation can help a great deal. And I'm sure Flint will get us out of here."

"You trust him a lot." Cynthia remarked.

"Don't you?" Riley asked.

"Of course, I do." Cynthia agreed. "But everyone has doubts at times."

"When you're vulnerable, yes," Riley said. "Like you just now, for example."

"Are you a second Lucian?" Cynthia said, surprised.

Riley broke into a laugh. "Sadly, no."

"Well then, guess what I was thinking."

"You were thinking, what if we were to die here and never get out in time," Riley replied without missing a beat. "It's not that hard to guess."

"I suppose so,"

"It's perfectly normal," Riley assured as he shifted his foot slightly. "To think of death, that is."

"So you did think the same," Cynthia pointed out,

"I'm only human," Riley said. "Death is always close, and once it gets closer, you can't help but to be afraid. Although on the bright side, if my last moments were to be spent with Sinnoh's most beautiful lady, I can die a lot happier and luckier than many guys out there."

"Compliments won't get you out of here, Sir Riley," Cynthia said with an amused look.

"It's the truth," Riley replied. "You sorely underestimate your popularity, Ms Cynthia,"

"Popularity won't get me out of here either," Cynthia sighed exasperatedly.

"Fair enough," Riley mused. "Though I'm curious, I don't seem to hear any news of you committing to a romantic relationship?"

Cynthia paused for a moment, dumbfounded by Riley's question. A romantic relationship? The term "romantic" sounded pathetically foreign in her ears.

"Romantic?" She laughed, her thoughts spilling out. "I don't have the time for it."

"Why not?"

"Because," Cynthia hesitated for a while. "I'm the Champion."

"Now, that's not a justification," Riley commented. "That's an excuse."

Cynthia felt something in her unwittingly snap, her head feeling hot and angry. She felt attacked by his words, as if something deep within her was abruptly exposed by this unseen force.

"And what makes you think that you know me well enough to determine my reasons as excuses?" Cynthia muttered, feeling bitter. All of a sudden, Cynthia felt rather suffocated to be in the same space. The dense, unforgiving silence, the dampness of the soil, the vulnerability of the darkness around her felt so much more unpleasant.

Suddenly, Riley bent down, his face lowered to meet Cynthia eye-to-eye. Cynthia caught her breath as she noticed the glint in his eyes that enraptured her attention.

"Forgive me if I overstepped my boundaries," Riley said with a tone filled with remorse and sincerity. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Though flustered by the sudden closeness, Cynthia hurriedly shook her head.

"I've overreacted as well," She said while averting her gaze. She pursed her lips for moment, before she whispered timidly, "Did it sound like an excuse?"

"Sorry?"

"Did it sound like an excuse?" She asked again. "About me being the Champion."

"It did," Riley said without sugarcoating his words. "At least, it did to me."

"How so?"

Riley said nothing for a while and Cynthia waited for his answer as she tried to ignore the fact that he was way too close to her. She could smell his breath which was akin to the deep blue ocean freshness.

"It felt familiar...," he trailed off. "Ah, yes, the sound of it felt familiar."

"The sound of it?" She inquired.

"Because I've made plenty of excuses before too," Riley reasoned. "So many that your reason sounded similar to what I would often say in past."

"What kind of excuses did you say?" Cynthia asked, curious.

"All kinds," Riley said. "Mostly to make myself feel better and protected from situations. Well," he paused, seemingly in deep thought. After a few seconds later, he continued, "I guess a prime example would be when Byron asked me to be the Gym Leader at Oreburgh."

"Byron?" Cynthia exclaimed. "Did he personally asked you to take up the position?"

"Yes," Riley said, earning a gasp from Cynthia. From what she knew and interacted with the seasoned Gym Leader, Byron was a tough nut to crack and to impress. The fact that one of Sinnoh's most experienced and strongest Gym Leaders would ask Riley personally was testament of how highly Byron regarded Riley. More importantly, it was proof that Riley possesses considerable skills as a trainer.

"You must be pretty strong," Cynthia concluded.

"Oh, it's nothing compared to you, Champion," Riley said. "Plus, it doesn't matter anymore since I turned down the offer."

"Why?"

Riley let out a dry laugh and Cynthia could sense the heavy feelings hidden behind it.

"Self-preservation,"

That answer struck a mean chord inside her and Cynthia involuntarily clenched her fists.

"What excuse did you give?" Cynthia said slowly.

"Well," Riley breathed. "I told him that he should consider my friend over me. Because it's his son, after all."

"You mean," Cynthia bit down her lower lip. "Roark?"

Riley returned a slight nod and Cynthia fell silent, her eyes trying to make out what expression Riley was making, but to no avail. How odd. Despite how physically close they were right now, she still could not truly understand who the man is before her.

_Almost like..._

"Laughable, isn't it?" Riley snorted. "Giving up such an opportunity because I did not want to hurt a dear friend, it's pathetic."

"It's not," Cynthia interjected. "Don't say that."

"But," Riley began. "I was a coward,"

"And kind," Cynthia pointed out. "You could have taken up the position but you chose to prioritize your friendship. That's plenty kind."

She thought she saw him smiling, but in this darkness, she was unable to ascertain it. He shifted back a little.

"Thank you," Riley replied, his voice soft.

"You're welcome," Cynthia said.

"By the way, can I ask you something?"

"Sure,"

"How are you acquainted to Steven?"

Cynthia felt her mind go blank once again after Riley uttered _his_ name. _No, no, no._ She screamed in her head. _Get it together, Cynthia. Answer his question._

"I-I only know him in name," She stuttered.

A pause. A pause that was enough to suck all air out of Cynthia.

"I see,"

She sighed in relief in her head and she tried to shift the conversation away from herself, "Do you know him?"

Yet another pause that lingered within the space.

"Yes," Riley finally answered. "He's a... friend."

The odd pauses in between his reply made puzzled Cynthia, but she made no comment about it.

"How did you know him?" She asked.

"A long way back," Riley replied. "I lived in Hoenn for a period of time and studied in his trainer's school." He paused yet again. "He had quite the reputation back then. Handsome and rich. Talented, too. It's no wonder that he ended up as Champion."

"That's... interesting," Cynthia lightly commented, yet in her heart she could not help agree with Riley. Even then, she was curious. After all, she did not know who exactly was Steven Stone.

"How is he as a person?"

A stiff quietude dropped like an anchor and Cynthia felt her lungs constrict. There was definitely something going between Riley and Steven for Riley to go so dead silent, but Cynthia did not know what.

"He's...," Riley began and Cynthia braced herself.

"Honest,"

Cynthia blinked, dumbfounded by his unexpected answer. She wanted to see Riley's face and see what kind of expression he was making, but the darkness prevented her from doing so.

"Honest to a fault," Riley sighed, a sadness in his voice. "So honest that it makes me jealous."

Cynthia widened her eyes.

_"I'm sorry... for lying to you."_

Honest.

She closed her eyes as her heart throbbed.

_Yes, he_ is.

"It's sad," Riley sighed.

"What is?" Cynthia asked.

"That Steven's the Champion,"

Cynthia held back a gasp.

"... Why?" She asked, carefully.

"He once told me something back then," Riley said as he adjusted himself. "I still remember it quite well. We skipped lessons that day and hid ourselves on the rooftop."

"Wow," Cynthia exclaimed. "I never would have thought that S- the Hoenn Champion would be a truant."

Riley laughed. "He had this quiet look about him, but he's actually quite the daredevil. I guess it was a rebellious phase of his to go against the people who treated him based on his looks and wealth."

Something inside Cynthia's stomach twisted and a bitter feeling rose in her chest.

"Handsome, rich, talented. Everyone around him say he would be the future Champion." He continued. "I was one of them, regretfully."

"Regretfully?"

"Yeah," Riley's voice went soft. "Because that day, he told me this: I don't want to be a Champion."

Cynthia's lips tightened, all words snatched away from her throat as she stared blankly forward at the darkness where Riley was.

"He... didn't want to be a Champion?"

"Yeah," Riley said, his tone undiscernible. "It's ironic how he became everything he did not want to be. Putting on a mask and living the lifestyle he hated."

_Putting on a_ mask.

"That's... unfortunate," Cynthia murmured.

Cynthia sat there in silence, while Riley stayed in his own position, the conversation coming to an abrupt end. Cynthia felt time trickling past bit by bit, the musty smell in the space feeling less off-putting as she got used to her surroundings. She and Riley would make some small talk here and there, occasionally talking about myths and ruins. Thoughts about Steven would linger in her head, but she willed herself to not think too much about Riley's words.

All of a sudden, Riley groaned, his arms that was pressed against the wall slipping down. Cynthia then noticed that his breathing was getting ragged, the smell of iron was getting stronger. It was then she realized that the smell of iron did not came from the rocks around them. Alarmed, she reached her hand out towards the inky darkness. Her fingers touched Riley's cheeks and she traced them upwards to his forehead. When she made contact with a viscous liquid, she felt the dampness of the blood on her fingers and her blood chilled.

"You're bleeding!" She cried out, horrified.

Yet the man before her simply moved her hand away from his forehead. He squeezed it tight, as if trying to reassure her but it was clearly not working very well in his favor.

"I'm fine," he panted.

"I know someone who said the same thing and turned out not fine at all," she retorted.

"Are you referring to yourself?" Riley said, his voice fading in volume.

"Perceptive," Cynthia said. "But that's not the point. Where are you hurt?"

"At the left side of my head," Riley said slowly.

Cynthia felt a sense of dread growing inside her, as the scene of Riley shielding her from the rocks and stones replayed in her head.

"When you tried to protect me?" She gasped, feeling horrid and apologetic.

"It's alright," Riley assured. "I wouldn't want to let such a beautiful lady as yourself get hurt while on my island."

"I see your tongue got a whole lot sweeter with a concussion." Cynthia chuckled. "Now then, let's wrap up your wound."

She proceeded to tear off one of her shirt sleeves, disregarding Riley's disapproval. After cleanly straightening the cloth out, she looked up towards the inky darkness.

"Riley, I need you to bend down."

"Cynthia, really it's fine-!"

"I said bend down!" Cynthia commanded. "I'm not going to let an injured man stay injured."

Riley went silent, before his arms retracted back and he crouched down obediently. Cynthia wordlessly began to wrap the makeshift bandage over his head. He flinched a little from the pain as she tugged the cloth to tighten it. The process was long, considering that she was bandaging in the dark.

Upon tying the knot, she gently traced her hand around the bandage to make sure it was in place. That done, her lips bloomed into a satisfactory smile.

"Better?" She asked.

"Yeah," Riley answered with a soft grunt. "Thanks."

"You're welcome,"

They then moved onto other topics, continuing their small talks in between, not knowing exactly how much time had past. Cynthia could sense that Riley was getting tired, and soon enough, he lost his balance. Cynthia yelped in surprise as his body pressed against hers. His breathing was heavy, his arms slacked and Cynthia could sense that the awkward position he had assumed had taken a toll on his wound and body.

"I... apologize," he murmured. "I'm getting a little dizzy."

"It's fine," Cynthia said. "Just rest for now,"

"Then, I'll take up your offer," he said before he relaxed. She held her breath as she felt his hair brush past the tip of her nose, his chin rested on her shoulder. His back rose up and down and before long, his breathing eased and Cynthia sighed in relief. Soon, Riley fell asleep in her arms, and Cynthia struggled to sit upright with his weight pressed against her. The iron smell of blood lingered, while Cynthia closed her eyes. There was no difference however; darkness greeted her all the same.

Black.

The color she both hated and loved.

It's strange. Strange that she was surrounded by the color of black and how her heart did not at the least bit react to the touch of another man. Instead, the only thing in the mind was _him_.

He helped her.

The thought of him going out of his way to help solve her problems made her heart ticklish and she was positive that her feelings for him had only grew stronger. It was strange. She could not wait to see him again.

Yet, she did not know what to say when she sees him again.

And more importantly, she still did not know him.

The him that never wanted to be a Champion.

Soon, her sight, hearing and touch dissolved into black as she too, fell asleep. It was a dreamless sleep, with nothing in her head and it felt like eternity. It was a long dreamless nightmare of her being alone within a sea of darkness. Perhaps, for all she knew, she was dead. Dead within a collapsed cave, beneath darkness, with her feelings untold to _him_. It felt comforting and painful at the same time.

Comforting because she ran away, painful because she ran away.

"-thia,"

_Steven?_

"Cynthia!"

Her eyes snapped open, the same darkness greeting her. Her breathing quickened but a comforting pat on her shoulder calmed her down instantly.

"Sorry for waking you up," Riley said. "You were crying, so I thought you were having a nightmare."

"Crying?" Cynthia murmured, her hand touching her cheeks. Riley was right; she was crying.

"I'm fine,"

"Pretty sure I heard someone say the same thing but turned out the opposite," Riley chuckled.

"It wasn't a nightmare," Cynthia shook her head. "Rest assured, I'm fine."

Riley said nothing in response to that. She then felt him shuffle around his spot and he resumed his original position.

"Riley, you're going to tire yourself out in that position."

"No worries," Riley grunted. "I've imposed myself on you long enough."

"I don't mind," Cynthia said. A pregnant pause lingered between them for a short moment, before Riley let out a small chortle.

"You're quite sly, aren't you, Champion?"

Cynthia raised a brow, confused by Riley's words, but before she could inquire what he was trying to say, a soft rumble could be heard from the far distance. Her heart rose at the sound and she glanced up, meeting the small glint in Riley's eyes.

"Looks like Flint didn't burn his butt," Riley chuckled. "Nor his hair."

Cynthia laughed. "That's good, isn't it?"

Riley chuckled in response and his hand suddenly brushed past her shoulders.

"Say, Cynthia," He began. "Once we get out of here, can you do me a favor?"

"A favor?"

"As fellow survivors," Riley said.

"Well, if you put it that way," Cynthia chuckled. "If it is within my ability, sure."

She heard him breathe a soft sigh of relief.

"Then, could you go on a date with me?"


	15. Chapter 15

Riley has never commanded much of a presence in all his life.

His parents' careers as researchers had meant that Riley was bound to move all over the place. From Kanto to Unova, anywhere you name it. Since childhood, Riley had known, learned and lived more cultures than kids his age.

That also meant that he was never bound to stay in one place.

Transferring from one school to another constantly had made him understood the pain of leaving too well. Friends he made were gone from his life as soon as they arrived and he got increasingly numbed by it. By junior high, he was aloof and distant from his peers, preferring to keep to himself and stay low. He drifted, both in body and soul.

The only place that he held some form of longing for was his hometown back in Sinnoh, but that was it.

When his family moved to Hoenn next, Riley started high school. He did the usual drill: introduce himself to the class, sit down at a corner seat and fade away into the background.

"Hi,"

Riley broke away from the scenery outside the classroom window and found a hand outstretched towards him. He looked up and made eye contact with a sea of cerulean. The teenager before him smiled, his blue-grey hair striking to look at and Riley knew him without any need for an introduction.

"I'm Steven," he continued. "Nice to meet you,"

Riley had planned to stay in the background, yet the most conspicuous person in the entire school was here before him. Steven Stone, the son of the Joseph Stone, founder of the Devon Corporation.

_No matter_, thought the boy, _he'll soon forget me anyways._

"Uh, hi," he then awkwardly answered as he shook the boy's hand. "I'm Riley."

He smiled wryly as the boy continued the conversation, "Where are you from?"

"Unova,"

"You don't look like you're from Unova," Steven remarked as he stared at Riley curiously. "Johto?"

"Sinnohian," Riley answered.

"Right," Steven nodded. "Sorry,"

"Don't be," Riley said. It wasn't strange for someone to mistake him to be from different places; he did not belong anywhere in particular after all.

Steven seemed to pause for a considerable amount of time and Riley breathed a sigh in his head. The conversation can finally end and he can fade into the background as scheduled.

Or so he thought.

"How's Unova like?"

Riley blinked, surprised. Steven Stone was still talking to him with this sparkle in his eyes that he did not understand.

"Big and flashy," Riley answered.

"What are the pokémon like?"

"They're very different from Hoenn's," Riley found himself saying. "Some are quite strange and others are cool-looking."

"I heard that there's a pokémon made of garbage,"

"Garbodor?" Riley chuckled. "That one's nasty."

"It sounds nasty," Steven laughed.

"There's Vanilluxe, which is like ice cream," Riley pointed out. "And Cofagrigus that gives you the willies."

The sparkle in Steven's eyes brightened. "You seem to know a lot,"

"About pokémon?" Riley quirked an eyebrow. Steven nodded his head enthusiastically.

"I suppose so," Riley muttered. Somewhere inside his gut, he wanted Steven to stop talking to him.

Because he did not want to stand the pain of having a friendship broken by circumstances again.

Yet, his wish was not granted.

"Say, do you happen to like rocks?"

"Sorry?" Riley said, confused.

Steven froze for a short while and cleared his throat. "What I meant to say was, do you like to hike?"

Liking rocks and liking to hike are two very different things. Riley mused to himself.

"I do like hiking," he then answered, earning a satisfied grin on Steven's face.

"That's great!" He cried out and Riley was positive that he would be blinded by the fiery passion in Steven's eyes.

And that was the start of a rosy high school life Riley never thought he would get to experience. His dull, drifting life was suddenly intruded by Steven Stone, who would persistently talk to him every day and engage in animated conversations about rocks and hiking during lunch breaks. It did not take long for Riley to catch the attention of his schoolmates, who would often do a double-take whenever he walked down the corridors.

Steven was popular and rightfully so. He was smart, rich and handsome, hence earning the admiration of many within the school. It was rare to not see him smothered by enthusiastic squeals and excited gazes. He was in a league above everyone else and Riley could not see how would someone like Steven to bother with his dull, fleeting self.

"Why are you always here?"

When Riley popped the question during a lunch break while they were both hanging out on the rooftop, Steven stared at him, confused.

"As in," Riley murmured. "Why bother yourself with me?"

Steven tilts his head to one side.

"Why not?"

Riley opened his mouth, wanting to reason with Steven. Yet, he found no words to say.

"You're great to talk to," Steven then said, seemingly noticing his discomfort. "You don't put on airs and you lack any form of pretense."

Steven's face fell, just enough for Riley to notice. "Unlike others,"

Riley widened his eyes, his head clearing up as it finally struck him why Steven stubbornly stayed by his side.

He has never once seen Steven smile when he was with the crowd and his swarm of admirers. The amiable smile he carried in public was nothing but a mask.

Steven was lonely.

Like he was.

Riley let out a soft chuckle and Steven blinked, dumbfounded by the boy's reaction. His expression softened.

"That's the first time I see you smile,"

Riley paused, noticing the edges of Steven's lips gently folding upwards, a slight smile lying crescent on his face. He was fixated on this for a while as something inside of him scrunched up into a ball, tightly.

Maybe, just maybe, he can stop drifting here in Hoenn. Just maybe, he can properly open his heart for someone so similar yet different to him.

Just like before.

* * *

The man stood before the counter as the nurse before him scribbled some notes on her notebook. He waited patiently as she grabbed some bottles and bandages, his eyes following her monotonous movements.

"So, Mr. Riley, here are some painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills. More instructions are on the labels so be sure to read them properly. Also, here are some extra bandages and there is the tiny chance that your wound might reopen, so please come to the hospital immediately when that happens," her eyes scanned the notebook in her hand before she snapped it shut. "You're officially discharged."

"Thank you very much," he said as he nodded his head. Taking the small bag of medication, he turned around and walked towards the west wing exit.

After Flint had rescued both him and Cynthia out of the rubble, Riley was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, it was a small concussion and there were no possible repercussions.

Cynthia, on the other hand, suffered minor abrasions, but nothing serious. She was discharged much earlier than himself, and from what he heard from Flint, she soon dove back into work and had been dealing with the incident at Iron Island ever since.

She was busy, as expected, and Riley suddenly remembered her words back on the island.

"Romantic? I don't have the time for it."

He made an involuntary sigh as he passed by numerous visitors and nurses running about the west wing, feeling a strange sense of anxiety inside himself. The date that he had requested as a favor from Cynthia might not be plausible, after all.

She is the Champion, after all.

A pang of regret churned in his chest and Riley's hands touched his right pocket that hid his Lucario's pokéball. He was simply a wandering trainer with no title to flaunt, no place to be and no story to tell.

_Woe is me_, he lamented in his head.

"Riley?"

He broke away from his thoughts, his gaze finding the source of that familiar voice and time seemed to totter away into stillness. His heart ignored the steps of time as it beat at a speed that caught his breath at his throat. She was there before him, the passers-by around them dissipating into the background as he saw her, just her in his field of vision.

"Cynthia?"

"I'm sorry," She started saying. "I had planned to visit you sooner, but work caught up and I had to deal with all the stuff that happened. Congratulations on your discharge," She smiled.

"Oh," He said slowly. "It's alright. Thanks for coming."

"Also," She said as she brought up the bag she held. "This is for you,"

He took it with steady hands, his heart fluttering as her hands brushed past his.

"I hope you like tea,"

Riley froze for a split second before he answered, "Yes, thank you."

Meanwhile, from the corner of his eye, Riley took note of the curious glances that were thrown towards their direction. Cynthia was undoubtedly the reason why they were attracting all that attention, partly because she is the Champion, but it was her beauty that resulted in those double-takes. Even Riley himself could not help to stare at her.

She was just breathtakingly beautiful.

"Shall we talk somewhere else?" He said and Cynthia immediately cast a few glances left and right.

"Yes," she nodded.

He then directed the way towards a corner, away from curious stares and wandering people. Just them in this small, palpable space.

"So," he said. "Any developments after the incident at Iron Island?"

Her face seemed to look slightly more haggard immediately as she sighed, "Not very well," the light in her eyes dulled. "There are no leads as of now."

Riley pursed his lips, his mind tracing back into the depths of his mind as he thought hard.

"Have you checked the surveillance cameras?" Riley asked.

"Surveillance cameras?"

"I installed quite a few around the island when I first took over the place," Riley explained. "I wanted to improve security."

"That will be very helpful," Cynthia said enthusiastically. "Thank you for the information."

"You're welcome," he answered without missing a beat. He met her strong, grey gaze that was filled with refreshing confidence that renewed inside her. It was the same light he remembered.

_Woe is me, indeed_, he mused to himself.

"May I ask," Riley began. "Is my favor still in effect?"

Cynthia blinked, nonplussed by his question. She hesitated for a short while before she gently tucked her hair and answered, "I suppose so, once I am free from this mess."

"Then," Riley held her hand, bowed down considerably and kissed it gently. "I shall wait for our date with great expectations."

He peeked upwards, just to see a barely noticeable flush in her cheeks. A small, embarrassed frown on her brows transformed her usual cool expression into that of a blushing, shy lady confounded before such an act of affection and gentlemanly straightforwardness.

Riley was unexpectedly delighted by this. It was a cute reaction and he could not help but fall harder for Cynthia.

For the girl who had enraptured him since his childhood.

* * *

**Happy 2020! Wishing an awesome decade for everyone :D**

**A rather short chapter this time. I wanted to expand more on the relationship between Steven and Riley before we dive back into the triangle so here we are. There's definitely more about the two of them in future chapters and I sincerely thank all of you who continue to support and read this story.**


	16. Chapter 16

Ambivalence.

It was a word strung around him, piercing him and taking hold of his self. A thread that embeds itself deeper into him with each breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice announced from above. "Welcome on board Flight 49A with service from Hoenn to Unova. We are currently third in line for take-off and..."

The pilot's voice melted into the background as Steven closed his eyes, sinking himself into a meditative state. He sighed, his back sinking into his seat as ambivalence gripped him mercilessly.

Yet he was in a state of peaceful unknown, his mind drawing a blank even with hundreds of thoughts the human brain would think regardless of the physical state of the body. Or perhaps, he was thinking so much to the point that he had subconsciously decided to ignore his thoughts.

He was definitively upset. Anxious, even.

If only someone had taught him on the woes and troubles of love.

He sighed.

Love. A phenomenon and miracle of the living. An unknown that he had unwittingly waltzed himself into.

Waltzed into, indeed.

Such unwonted emotions were tiring him out. Venturing into the emotion called Love was tiring him out.

He had tried a couple more times to contact her after that first failed call, but all his attempts did not get through. Each attempt only served to chill his heart several degrees and heighten his dread.

It felt as if the invisible link he held so desperately to was suddenly broken without a sound, without a reason. He was so abruptly cut off from her that he knew nothing about what to do. He stopped his attempts very quickly, afraid that perhaps, he was seen to be too pushy, even forceful. He would agonize over it every other day, afraid and yet hopeful.

Even till now, it wrought him so.

It was his first crush, perhaps even his first love and Steven felt as if he was walking on pins and needles like a toddler. Everything felt exciting and horrifying, like a horror amusement park. And he was just standing at the entrance to it.

All the promises he said to himself were all crashing down and now, Cynthia felt like a bleak speck in the distance, difficult to reach.

Those memories they had seemed to have faded away into obscurity, done and dusted. An exaggeration, perhaps, but Steven felt it. The cold feeling that perhaps everything between them had ended while he had been useless and helpless in salvaging it.

"Stop," he whispered to himself. Such thoughts only made it worse. The blank slate he had so hard to make for himself mentally was gone in a blink.

He tried to cut his mind off from reality as he attempted to fall into dreamland. He stayed silent and took in deep, even breaths to make himself fall asleep. Yet he could not. That tugging feeling stuck onto him.

"Dear passengers, we will soon arrive at Castelia International Airport. Please wear your seatbelts and-,"

The announcement came and Steven froze. The sense of dread was weighing onto him, and he wished for time to be slower, for him to get ready. But soon the plane had reached land and he opened his eyelids reluctantly. All the passengers around him were leaving one-by-one, most of them looking jaded from the long plane ride.

He was here, in Unova. Albeit only in the physical sense.

After all, his heart was still afraid.

He soon went along with all due procedures. Bag check, the identification check, blah, blah, blah. At the last checkpoint, he lifted his small luggage and walked out via the VIP exit, where he met his chauffeur of the day. The suited man was dressed primly and he took over Steven's luggage.

"Opelucid City, I presume," He asked.

The chauffeur answered with a wordless nod before he opened the door of the posh black car before Steven. The Hoenn Champion then went in and sat comfortably in the back seat. He was soon traveling on the highway and he watched the vivid colors of the bustling city zoom past him. Blinking lights, dazzling sparkles and a hubbub of city voices was a far cry to the peaceful Hoenn.

Somehow, it made him nervous. And isolated.

The car continued, the city continued, the night continued.

It took about two hours before Steven arrived at his destination: A grand hotel at the edge of Opelucid City. It was famous for its exclusivity to the Pokémon League, and as a Champion that is relatively experienced, Steven knew that this place would be where the Champions will reside at after each day.

To be frank, the Champion Gathering was more of a customary event put on for the sake of keeping up a reputation. The Pokémon League made this annual event mandatory as a form of assurance to the public that the League was doing well. It was by no means necessary, but years of organizing made it a tradition. Each region has to participate unless the region has other League commitments, like Kanto and Johto that are having their own Championships.

The Gathering spans three days, where the first day starts with the Champion's Walk, where each region's Champion would greet the public before heading off to the Pokémon League Building. This would then be followed by a Battle Showcase between the hosting region's Champion and another Champion chosen via lottery. The meetings will then begin, where the first is a simple update by the respective Champions on the happenings of their regions. The first day will end off with a party at the Opelucid Hotel, where Gym Leaders of the hosting region will participate.

The second day would be the toughest, as it would be where the meetings will truly begin. The League's economic and financial matters, security, Inter-region laws. After the meetings end, the second Battle Showcase will commence.

The third and final day would begin in the afternoon, where the Champions would hold the third and final Battle Showcase before ending off in a private party between the participating Champions and other distinguished guests who are usually representatives of corporations and sponsors of the Pokémon League.

Three days of Champion duties, and Steven Stone was more or less ready for it. It knew the procedures and flow of events like the back of his palm, thus there was no need for him to fret but to get things over and done with.

As Steven walked into the Opelucid Hotel, he was greeted by two rows of the hotel staff. He knew that this was simply a formality and thus he calmly walked on. Looking up, he then noticed someone familiar waving at him.

"' Ello, Steven!"

"Leon," he greeted. "It's been a while,"

The Galar Champion grinned, "Two years, give or take? How're you doin'?"

"Fine," Steven smiled dryly as they began to walk towards the lift lobby.

"Fine, eh?" Leon laughed. "That's the exact response you gave me two years ago during Galar's Champion gathering."

"I'm surprised you remember that,"

"Why, of course, I was the hosting Champion. Being detail-oriented and looking after the well being of my guests is only natural," Leon said as they entered the lift. "Which floor?"

"Seventh," Steven answered. "Thanks,"

"Looks like we're not neighbors," Leon sighed. "I'm on the eighth,"

"I'm sure there's plenty of chances," Steven said.

"As long as we hold onto our positions," Leon chuckled. "I wonder which Champion will be staying on the same floor as me this time."

"That's something to look forward to, I suppose,"

"Not really," Leon shrugged, "It's a fifty-fifty chance, either Diantha or Cynthia,"

Steven froze until a loud ring brought him back to his senses.

"Now there's your cue," Leon said as the lift doors opened. "See you soon!"

"See you," Steven answered and then walked out. The lift doors went shut and Steven stood at the posh lobby for a long while as he slowly face-palmed himself.

He had almost forgotten about the lodging arrangements of the Opelucid Hotel.

Opelucid Hotel, being extravagant and exclusive as it should be, had only two rooms for each floor. Since Unova is the hosting region, Alder would be staying on a floor by himself, and that leaves Kalos, Galar, Sinnoh, and Hoenn to be split into two, where two Champions will stay on the same floor. He had been informed of this beforehand, but the bit of information had slipped his mind.

So, this time, if Leon was not staying on the same floor as himself, that could only mean one thing:

Diantha or Cynthia.

Steven positively felt even more drained than before and slowly, he shuffled out of the lobby and glanced to his right. His room would be on the left end, while his floor neighbor would be on the right end.

Sighing, he walked to his assigned room and tapped in with the hotel key card that he received from the chauffeur.

Swinging the door open, he was greeted by a lavish, elegant room that spanned the size of a large apartment. The bed was humongous, and the bathroom was equally, if not more, luxurious. The closets were filled with suits and formal wear (that were all specifically tailored for him) and everything in this room was automatic, from the curtains to the television. Even for a man like Steven, this was a little too much.

His luggage was already at where it's supposed to be and Steven began to unpack it. It did not take long since he did not have to bring much anyways. Afterward, he went off to take a long shower, partly because he was tired, but mostly because he needed to cleanse his head of thoughts.

Upon coming out of the shower, he started checking his emails for updates on the Hoenn Championships. Even though the Elite Four had assured him that they will do fine for the next five days, Steven's strong sense of responsibility did not allow him to simply sit back and relax in Unova. Instead, he asked his secretary to update him periodically.

Fortunately for today, there wasn't much for Steven to concern himself with. He glanced out towards the night sky beyond his window and his heart stirred at the sight of it. He needed a breather, a short moment of respite outside. The rooftop would be good, he thought.

Exiting his room, the door closed with a distinct clack. A similar sound echoed in the distance and he turned his head in response to the sound.

He felt something inside him soar and sink simultaneously.

She turned while her long blonde hair that glimmered dimly beneath the warm ambient lights of the corridor swinging in the same motion. Her stormy grey met his cerulean blues and time stopped.

"Ste… ven?" Her voice echoed in the wide corridor and he could tell she was similarly shocked at this turn of events.

"… Hey there," He greeted slowly. A long silence followed, and Steven felt choked by this heaviness that was weighing down onto him. He had to say something, anything.

"Um-!" They both began at the same time.

He stopped.

She stopped.

They were still standing in front of their respective doors and behind their respective hearts, while distance remained a wall not yet surmounted.

"Please," He said as he gestured towards her.

She hesitated and then began slowly, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes," he answered. "The rooftop."

Her uncovered grey eye widened in surprise.

"That's where I wanted to go as well."

* * *

The cityscape of Unova at night was truly something else. Neon, iridescent colors flooded her vision, each color fighting for attention through the ocean of lights. The rainbow of noises weaved into a symphonic cacophony that pulled her in, while the night winds gently ran past her as she leaned forward. Looking to her right, she watched the side profile of Steven, who was similarly engrossed in the sight before them. The lights lit up his face considerably, his features profound and contrasted against the night. His windswept hair was rowdy, yet his face was in a state of unknown calm and mystery. He had a soft scent and his hair was slightly wet, indicating that he had showered not long ago.

She did not expect that Steven Stone would be staying on the same floor as her.

She had arrived at Opelucid City a mere hour ago and was just done unpacking her stuff. Exhausted by her flight and the past few days of settling the Iron Island fiasco, she had wanted to have some alone time on the rooftop. Just herself and a horizon of lights and noise.

And here he was.

Perhaps like her, he wanted the night winds to blow away his troubles.

She studied his calm face. Wearing such a serene expression, just what troubles did he have?

Steven then glanced at her. She froze, realizing that she had been staring at him for a little too long for comfort. Embarrassed, she turned and looked at the scenery, her thoughts jumbled and distracted.

"Say," he began. "Can I ask you something?"

She faltered for a moment.

"Yes?" She answered while avoiding his gaze.

"Do you…," He said, his voice soft. "Hate me?"

Her head snapped to her left immediately, her mind blanked out, a single word reverberating within. Hate?

"Why would I?"

"Because I lied."

"But I lied to you too,"

"Then why?"

"Why?"

"Why can't I reach you?"

The wind howled in response and the city lights blinked. The cacophony died away into the distance, with Cynthia staring at Steven, at how his calm mask melted away to reveal nothing but an anxious face. It was a foreign and painfully raw expression that mirrored the thoughts that had laid buried in her mind. Those questions she asked herself so many times subconsciously but never chose to answer.

"I tried to call you so many times," Steven continued, his voice mixed with the breeze but Cynthia could still hear the hesitation in his voice. "Yet you never picked up, not even once."

Realization dawned upon her instantly.

"About that," she said slowly. "My phone got crushed."

A dumbfounded expression emerged on Steven's countenance.

"Crushed?"

"I was confronting Team Galactic and I got caught up in a cave collapse," She explained, and she watched his face contort into horror and worry. He was suddenly closer to her, his hand reaching out towards her. He then stopped, his hand retracting into a fist, the man holding himself back.

"Are you alright?" he finally said.

"I'm fine," She assured. "Someone saved me, so I managed to survive with only a few abrasions."

"That's a relief," He said.

"I didn't mean to ignore your calls."

"I know," Steven sighed. "I misunderstood it all on my own."

She gazed right into his eyes, surprised to see all the anxiety in them fading away.

"So, are you still angry?"

"I'm not,"

A smile slowly spread across his lips.

_Ah._

It was a soft exclamation within her that cleared her mind.

She was the reason for his troubles.

Just like he was hers.

"Then, can we still be friends?"

His arm was outstretched, his hand within her reach.

_Friends._

For some reason, that single word made her heart ached.

And afraid.

She then grabbed his hand, his warmth feeling cold to the touch.

"Of course,"


	17. Chapter 17

Steven sipped his morning coffee pensively as he assessed the state of affairs present in the dining hall of the hotel. There were a minimal number of guests, mainly the Unova League staff and the Champions. People helped themselves to the lavish breakfast buffet, chatters going about the large hall.

"Mornin'," Leon greeted as he carried a plate topped with a generous amount of food. "Mind if I sit here?"

Steven shook his head and the fellow Champion sat opposite of him. They both engaged in small talk as they ate, the dining hall getting slightly more crowded as more people filed in. Steven would glance at the entrance a couple of times, almost expectant.

"You seem rather excited," Leon remarked.

Steven froze for a split second, before he asked, "Excited?"

"For the Battle Showcase, of course."

"I suppose so," Steven replied candidly.

Leon nodded his head in agreement, "I wonder who would battle Alder later on."

"It could be you," Steven suggested. Leon laughed heartily in reply, his eyes glimmering with a hunger that Steven was all too familiar with.

"I wouldn't mind going against him," Leon said. "But I'm pretty sure the audience would want someone more exciting since I defeated him in our previous bout."

The Galar Champion sounded mighty pleased with himself with that last bit and Steven could understand why. Alder is one of the longest-reigning Champions in history and when someone as young as Leon defeated him in a Battle Showcase, the news had hit international headlines, catapulting Leon into international stardom.

"Someone more exciting?" Steven asked. "Such as?"

"You, of course," Leon grinned. "I don't know if it's pure luck or what, but you've never battled any regional Champions in the past. I'm sure people are curious about your strength."

"It's just a friendly match," Steven said calmly. "First and foremost, the Battle Showcase's purpose is not to demonstrate which trainer is stronger."

"But it does represent the relative strengths of each region's trainers," Leon interjected, looking very serious. "If one region's strongest trainer were to lose to another region's strongest trainer, it says a lot."

Steven stayed silent, as he took another sip of coffee.

"It's a matter of reputation and pride," Leon concluded.

Steven set his cup down and gazed at Leon calmly.

"That may be true," He said evenly. "But the purpose of pokémon battles is not to compare people or to classify the strong and the weak. It's to celebrate the bonds between humans and pokémon, isn't it?"

Leon's eyes widened and he slowly reclined into his seat with a smile, seemingly convinced. Meanwhile, Steven felt a familiar presence brush past him.

"Well said, Mr. Stone,"

Steven looked up in surprise, grey eyes regarding him with respect and assurance. Cynthia then walked past their table, her long blonde hair contrasted against her usual black outfit. The morning sunshine that filtered through the windows accentuated her beauty and it wasn't just Steven that was entranced by her appearance; she commanded glances from everywhere.

"Now, that's a looker," Leon commented, and a sour feeling dropped in Steven's stomach, spoiling his appetite in an instant. He said nothing in reply and merely drank his coffee, which tasted ten times more bitter.

"But Sonia's prettier," Leon then sighed, his voice just barely audible.

"Pardon?" Steven asked, the sour feeling dissipating away. He recognized the name Sonia as the granddaughter of Professor Magnolia instantly.

"O-Oh," Leon broke away from his trance. "It's nothing."

Steven chuckled inwardly, as Leon fumbled with his utensils. The Galar Champion then shot a look towards Steven.

"You heard nothing," he said firmly with his face tinged pink.

"Yes, yes," Steven reassured.

Leon cleared his throat and sat up straight, clearly trying to steer Steven's attention to something else. "Isn't this the first time you're meeting the Sinnoh Champion?"

Steven paused for a moment before he nodded his head lightly. Leon stared at him intently before his lips curled into a playful smirk.

"I think the two of you make a great couple."

Steven was positive, that if he did not swallow the mouthful of coffee, he would have performed a spit-take then and there. Leon's words had caught him off-guard and he stiffened.

"You joke too much," Steven laughed dryly.

* * *

Cynthia had mentally prepared herself for the Champion's Walk, for the public that was to greet her in her first public appearance in the Champion Gathering. She was aware of its importance to both her and Sinnoh's reputation and she knew that the last thing she had to do was to screw it up.

But, this is not something she expected.

When she got off the limousine, a giant red carpet stretched far ahead of her, the striking color disappearing into the far distance. Camera lights blinked at her, a torrent of cheers and screams charging towards her, the dizzying sight almost causing her to lose her balance.

The crowd was insane.

She started walking forward, her body trembling and her heart sat on her throat as it thumped nervously. _Keep up the façade_, she repeated endlessly in her head. _Don't break the mask, don't break the mask_.

She smiled as normally as she could and waved at the cameras as normally as she could, but she did not know how long more she could keep this up. This was a crowd she had never experienced before and she could feel herself getting drowned out by the cries, the lights and the attention directed at her. This was nothing like her coronation when Professor Rowan was right next to her while her family was looking at her with pride from the VIP seats.

Here on this red carpet, she felt truly alone.

She was barely holding on as each step felt like lead, and the Unova League Building looking despondently far away. How did her predecessors deal with this? In fact, how do all the Champions deal with this level of fame and attention? Diantha, the Kalos Champion, who was walking a distance ahead of her, amicably waved her hand towards the crowd, the movie star used to the red carpet. But not Cynthia. She is just a trainer who came from a small town, who plays the role of an archaeologist and mythology enthusiast. Nothing more, nothing less.

At that moment, she immediately understood why the famed undefeated Kanto Champion, Red, chose to resign soon after rising to the position. This pressure was not something any ordinary person could handle. And he, like her, was as ordinary as she was.

She wanted to stop. _Turn back. Turn back._

"Relax,"

All the pent-up frustration and anxiety were released at the sound of his voice and Cynthia finally breathed. The gentle voice eased her mind and her vision cleared, the noise and lights suddenly fading away into the background. Instead, the sonorous clacking of boots sauntered past her and she widened her eyes in surprise as Steven Stone smiled at her reassuringly.

He was dressed in his usual suit, in his usual hairstyle, with his usual smile. And all of these made her heart skip a beat.

With renewed confidence, Cynthia faced the cameras head-on and greeted the crowd, refreshed. Her steps were much lighter and she would wave, smile, and walk, wave, smile, and walk.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed Steven always walked a distance ahead that was not too far, not too near. She could tell that he was purposely walking at the same pace as she was, just close enough to let her know that she was not alone on this giant red carpet.

He is there for her.

When she finally entered the League Building, far away from the eyes and cameras, her knees buckled. But before she could fall onto the ground, a pair of arms supported her gently.

"That was a bit too much, wasn't it?" Steven remarked.

"Yeah," She sighed as she steadied herself. Looking up, she met Steven's gaze and she could see the lines of worry written all over his face.

And he was close. So close to her.

Cynthia hastily let go of his arms and tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.

"I'm all right," She said. "Thank you for your help."

"Don't mention it," He said before he pointed towards the stairs. "Shall we?"

Cynthia nodded her head and the two of them soon climbed the stairs. The League staff directed them towards the balcony, where the rest of the regional Champions were waiting. The crowd on the ground cheered as Alder walked forward. One of the League staff handed a mic to the Unova Champion.

"Good morning everyone!" He greeted cheerfully, earning roaring applause and cheering from the humongous crowd. "Thank you for joining us for the opening ceremony for the thirty-fifth Champion Gathering!"

Alder's opening speech then commenced, and Cynthia's attention shifted to the man who stood next to her.

_"He told me this: I don't want to be a Champion."_

Riley's words resounded in her head and she stole a glance towards Steven. She remembered his confident gait down the red carpet, the way he carried himself and how he had saved her again and again.

Steven is a Champion, in every sense of the word.

"Without further ado, we shall begin the Battle Showcase!"

Cynthia snapped back to reality, her attention back onto a small opaque box that was held by a League staff. Alder's large hand reached into the box, clearly picking a name who will be his opponent.

A slip of paper emerged, and Alder peered at the writing on it. He turned around, his eyes meeting Cynthia's, and the Sinnoh Champion froze.

"The first Battle Showcase, Unova versus Sinnoh!"

* * *

**Hello, ****I sincerely hope that this new chapter (that I wrote while being stuck at home in sunny Singapore) finds you well!**** Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, please take care of yourselves and be socially responsible! In these uncertain times, let's unite and be kind to one another :)**

**Also I updated the story cover with an illustration of Cynthia and Steven done by yours truly, hope you enjoy it as much as I spent time to draw it!**


	18. Chapter 18

The sparkling stadium was filled with people, and cheers buzzed from the bleachers. Cameras were situated all around the arena and the stadium lights rained down onto the stage. Cynthia peered out, looking at the crowd that was going wild as the announcer welcomed everyone.

After the match-up was announced for the first showcase, Cynthia was quickly escorted to the League stadium, where official League battles took place. The stadium was filled beforehand, and Cynthia marveled at how fast things were proceeding. Suddenly, she was here, pitted against the veteran Champion Alder in a one on one battle.

Surprise aside, she was excited.

Battling is one of her fortes after all.

When the bell rang, she stepped out and headed to her spot on the arena, while Alder stood on the opposite side. While the announcer explained the rules, Cynthia readied herself, her Garchomp's pokéball snug in her hand. The announcer was soon getting to the introductions, and Cynthia looked up at the cameras that were slowly adjusting.

"Unova's reigning Champion, Alder!"

The eruption of cheers was deafening, with many Unovans sitting in the bleachers chanting Alder's name.

"Versus! The new Champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia!"

The cheers for her was a stark contrast compared to Alder's and she expected this. To the Unovans, she was only "another region's Champion" and a newbie one at that. It was not strange that she received less support than Alder, who is the Unova Champion. But the cheers do not affect her.

All she had to do, was to battle.

She flashed a smile towards the cameras and waved and suddenly the cheers increased in volume, surprising her. Not knowing what came over the crowd, Cynthia pressed the release button on the pokéball and her Garchomp emerged in a flash of white light. Similarly, on Alder's side, his Volcarona was released. The two beasts glared at each other intensely, which was mirrored in the eyes of the respective trainers

"Ready, Garchomp?" She grinned. Her partner growled in response and Cynthia readied herself, for the referee's signal.

_Time to have fun._

* * *

The stadium had gone silent, a thumping tension breaking apart as Alder's Volcarona fell with an echoing thud. Garchomp stood victorious on the other side of the arena, the creature panting, visibly tired but not much hurt. The arena itself was in shambles, which was a testament to the intensity of the match.

The referee looked at the two trainers, the man stunned at the outcome of the match. Alder himself looked lost in thought, his wrinkled face in a state of shock, while Cynthia was standing on the opposite end, cross-armed and smiling.

"C-Cynthia wins!" The announcer finally mustered.

The disbelief and cheers exploded. Clapping ensued while shouts of displeasure followed. The Unovans were upset that once again, on their home ground, a foreign Champion had defeated their own. And what's more, this time, the match ended in less than fifteen minutes, which was half of the time it took for Leon's Charizard to defeat Alder's Volcarona.

The Sinnoh Champion was overwhelmingly powerful.

Meanwhile, in the front seats, Leon had stood up in shock, his mouth hanging open as he watched the scene unfold before him. Diantha was similarly astonished as she stayed frozen and eyes saucer wide.

"You've got to be kidding me," Leon cried out. "What's with that Garchomp?"

The Galar Champion then spun around, his eyes sparkling in glee as he shouted at Steven, "Say, did you see that Earthquake? It just destroyed the arena like nobody's business!"

"And it's supposed to be made of reinforced steel," Diantha exclaimed. "That's impressive. Cynthia trained it well."

"Right?" Leon replied enthusiastically. "I want to battle them!"

Diantha nodded her head in agreement before her gaze fell upon Steven. "Even so, I'm surprised that you didn't have much of a reaction, Hoenn Champion."

Steven blinked and turned around to face Diantha, who was looking at him intently.

"It's almost as if you expected her to win." She said with a knowing smile. "Did you battle against her before?"

Averting his gaze, he cleared his throat and replied, "Well, can't say I didn't."

Upon his reply, both Champions stared at Steven incredulously.

"Does that mean you've met her prior to today?" Leon asked.

Steven hesitated for a while before he finally nodded his head. Leon and Diantha exchanged glances, surprised.

"So, who won?"

Steven froze at Diantha's question. Leon looked at the Hoenn Champion expectantly; curiosity was written all over his face.

"Neither," he said softly.

"Neither?" Leon exclaimed. "So, a tie?"

The Hoenn Champion was silent for a while and his gaze slowly traveled across the stadium, before he laid eyes upon her gallant figure that was waving to the crowd. The stadium lights seemed brighter than before and the woman he had fallen for seemed even more radiant than ever.

_"Fight me properly!"_

Her strained voice rewound itself in his head.

"No," Steven said. "We… never finished the match."

* * *

Riley watched as the television blared out cheers and a triumphant announcement on Cynthia's victory. He smiled as the match highlights played. After grabbing his empty mug in hand, Riley headed to the sink to wash it.

The background played the commentary, how Garchomp had countered with a Dragon Claw before Volcarona's Flame Wheel could hit it, how a devastating Earthquake was dealt, destroying the entire arena in the process, and how quick-witted Cynthia was in formulating strategies on the spot to attack Alder's Volcarona.

Placing the mug on the drying rag, Riley then walked back to the living room. The match highlights had ended and the live camera panned back to Cynthia who exited the arena while waving towards the crowd.

It just struck Riley that Cynthia was far away. So far away from him.

A lonely feeling sank in his chest.

She is a Champion. A Champion in every sense of the word.

And he is merely…

The camera then switched to the remaining Champions who had been watching the match. Leon marveled at her battle techniques while Diantha expressed her surprise at the outcome.

When it came to Steven's turn, Riley's breath got caught in his throat. The Hoenn Champion smiled good-naturedly at the camera.

"She did well,"

Three short words and the camera immediately snapped back to Alder and the announcer began interviewing the Unova Champion. The veteran trainer started expressing his amazement, but his words were muffled out as Riley's fists were clenched tightly.

It was no ordinary smile.

It was the smile of a person in love.


End file.
